Doppelganger
by Jenni N
Summary: It's odd for an emotion to take a physical form and it's frightening for one's hatred to do so. How even more so that they look just like you.
1. The Beginning

A World Meeting was not a World Meeting without the countries, and Germany knew that everyone was supposed to meet at his house at exactly nine o'clock on the twenty-fourth of April. It was exactly 9:01 A.M and no one had shown up yet.

"Where are they?" he growled, glancing at his watch that blinked to 9:02. "They are two minutes late."

Somewhere, he heard a phone ring. Growling, he let it ring. There was no way he was going to miss a World Meeting due to a phone call. The phone stopped after a few seconds. He held his breath in the silence, and then released it with a sigh. He gritted his teeth when it rang again. "Calm," he instructed himself slowly. "Call back later, after the meeting."

The phone died and he relaxed again, waiting for the other countries to arrive. It was now 9:05, and he started to get ticked off. "Five minutes late..." he muttered bitterly. At exactly 9:07, his phone rang again. Angrily, he marched off from the conference room and into the hallway, searching out his phone with a certain look of distaste. He scooped up the phone and barked into the receiver, "What is it?"

"Germany! Germany!" Italy cried through the phone. "Help me! Help me! Please, Germany! Help me!"

Germany's eyes narrowed in frustration. Italy had always gotten into trouble multiple times, and it didn't surprise him if the calls from before were from Italy. "What is it Italy? Where are you? Aren't you supposed to be coming to the meeting?"

There was no answer. Instead, Germany heard Italy yell in terror in the background and the phone on the other line dropped to the ground, creating a _thud _loud enough for Germany to retract his own phone from his ear. "Italy!" Germany yelled into the phone after the phone line went dead. Although Italy got into trouble, he never quite heard Italy's yelling in terror so terrifying. Usually his pleas for help were more suited to be whines. This time, they sounded genuinely fearful.

Germany slowly put the phone down, stunned. Was Italy truly in trouble this time? What had happened? Normally he'd rush off towards Italy, but he had no idea where he was. The best thing to do was to go over to his house and check up on him, but before he could go find paper and leave a note for his absence, the phone rang again. Germany picked it up immediately. "Hello?"

"West, I need your damn help, NOW!" Prussia screamed into the phone.

Germany tensed. "Brother? What's wrong?"

"I-NO! _Nooo!_"

The phone went dead again, and Germany stood frozen as the dial tone blared at his ears with a single monotonous note. He hastily dialed in Prussia's number again and waited for his older brother to pick up, but an automatic female voice told him that the line was not in service.

"What is this madness?" he growled as he punched in Italy's number this time. The same voice recording played and he hung up. "Alright, what about Japan?" he muttered, starting to grow worried. He was relieved when Japan answered.

"Japan! Something's happened to Italy and Prussia." Germany said at once.

There was a small pause on the other side before Japan said uncertainly, "Please excuse me Germany, but there is some chaos with my people. I do not know what is-" Germany heard Japan stop mid sentence and then a louder, more fierce tone he never heard him use outside of the battlefield. "Who are you? What have you done to my people?"

Germany paled as he heard fighting take place on Japan's side and with every metal clang, he gritted his teeth. "Japan!" he yelled into the phone, gripping it tightly.

He heard someone pick the phone up and Japan's hurried voice panted, "Germany, tell as many nations as you can to meet at your house!"

Germany couldn't help but retort, "They should know by now, Japan! Today there is a World Meeting and no one has arrived."

"I am sorry but I haven't heard of a meeting today." he heard Japan murmur. "How strange." Japan sounded like he was running. Germany listened to his short breaths and fast quick footsteps hitting the wooden floor of his house.

"Alright," Germany grunted. "I will tell the others." He hung up on Japan and reached under the stand where the phone rested upon and heaved the phone book up onto the surface. Starting with the countries whose names started with the letter 'A', he found America's name and hastily dialed.

The dial tone rang three times before someone picked up. "What's up?" a cheerful voice chirped.

"America!" Germany yelled. He didn't mean to yell, but after Italy, Prussia, and even Japan's situation, he felt like it was a total emergency. "I got word from Italy, Prussia, and Japan. Something is happening in their countries. Japan called for everyone to meet at my house, _now."_

Germany fumed when he heard America chewing, as if he was eating food right then and there without a care in the world. After a long sip of a drink, America said, "Okay, dude, hold up. You said that those three are having some sort of issue? What, is their economy crashing or what?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Germany asked. "Japan requested for all of us to come to my house. Something bad happened to them." And he proceeded to explain what had happened with Italy and Prussia, how they called for help and suddenly their lines were cut. By the time he was finished, America was scared out of his mind.

"Dude, what if it's some sort of supernatural power that's here to kidnap us all?" he exclaimed, suddenly sounding alarmed.

"That's why you need to get here." Germany said quickly.

"I'm on it. See you in an hour."

They both hung up and Germany went down the line to Australia. He was down to Greece when Austria showed up, being the closest to Germany out of the other 'A' countries. Austria pushed his glasses into place with a finger when he approached Germany at the phone. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked. "I was busy writing a song for a violin duet."

"Have you heard anything about some countries in trouble?" Germany asked him. "Belgium, China, Denmark, and France were being attacked when I called them. Attacked by who, I don't know, but according to China, these attackers can bring out extreme hatred in a human and let it take over them."

Austria frowned in complete utter bemusement. "Wouldn't that lead to unnecessary violence?"

"I think that's the point." Germany growled, flipping the page. He and Austria glanced behind them when they felt an unusual dark presence. "Belarus," Germany said calmly. Austria stared at the female country's dark blue eyes and adverted his own gaze in slight fear.

Belarus walked up to Germany and glared at him. "What is so important that you must call me from my home?" she demanded in a low, quiet voice.

Germany, unfazed by her tough, cold demeanor, said without skipping a beat, "There is chaos around the world. Some countries are attacked by someone. Or something to be honest." Then he bent down so that he was on her eye level and said in a low voice, "Have you heard from Russia lately?"

Belarus looked uncertain. She snatched the phone from Germany and dialed in Russia's number.

"Brother," she said sharply. "Why have you not come to visit me?" There was a long pause, and then Belarus' expression changed into shock. "Brother! Russia!" she screamed into the receiver. "Brother!"

Germany took the phone away from Belarus and shouted, "Russia! Meet me at my house!" Belarus made a grab for the phone but Germany held it up high above her head.

She snarled and flicked her hand. A blade flipped up from under her the sleeve of her dress and the metal gleamed hungrily in the light. "Give me the phone. Let me talk to brother." she said.

Germany scowled at her. "There is nothing we can do now, Belarus. His phone line is dead."

Belarus jumped up and successfully took the phone away from Germany. "Brother, answer me!" she demanded at the phone. But she was silenced at once at the dead line. She hung up and redialed, only to hear the same female voice Germany heard earlier with Italy and Prussia's phone numbers.

"Give it back," Germany snapped. She handed the phone over and leaned against the wall, sliding down until she sat on the ground, staring blankly across the hall. Germany ignored her and muttered to Austria to answer the door, which had been knocked on by someone.

One by one, countries appeared at Germany's house, confused, concerned, or frightened. Many had no idea what happened. Some had experienced the horror and just escaped it. Some had heard rumors about it but weren't sure what was really going on.

Once Germany finished his phone calls, he located Japan with his family. Everyone had gathered in the conference room; it was the only room in Germany's house that could sit everybody. As if they were at the World Meeting (that everyone had supposedly forgotten much to Germany's depression), they all sat in their usual seats aside from a handful of missing countries.

"What is this about, Germany?" England demanded from his seat. "I was enjoying my morning tea until people started calling me about helping them. I thought you were going to ask me for help too until you mentioned you were getting calls like that."

"I know as much as you do." Germany said calmly. "Japan, please explain what had happened at your country."

Japan looked worn and tired. He sported a bruise on his cheek and a cut on the side of his neck. China, Hong Kong, and Macao were missing from the Asian group, and Japan had explained that any land in China was most likely attacked and missing. "They are exact copies of ourselves." he said grimly. "But they can be distinguished from the original. Their eyes are red."

"So you're saying that these bloody attackers are _doppelgangers_?" England exclaimed.

"Yes,"

America interrupted by laughing. "And here I thought they were ghosts!"

"Are you afraid of ghosts, America, daze?" Korea laughed. "Ghosts aren't scary at all!"

America grimaced and said tentatively, "But they're supposed to be dead...and they haunt you, stalk you, go everywhere...dude, it's creepy."

"Silence!" Germany yelled before Korea could say anything. "Japan, continue."

Japan spent roughly nine minutes (of course, Germany was timing him) telling everyone how this 'Dark Japan' (it was America's idea to call the doppelgangers 'Dark' and then whatever country the doppelganger took form of) intruded into his house and fought him with the exact same skill and moves of the real Japan. Only, Dark Japan was stronger and his endurance lasted much longer than Japan's. After Japan got off the phone with Germany and fled into the city, he saw that Dark Japan had brought out hatred in his people and they became disturbingly violent.

"I had to order my army to round up my people and evacuate to the countryside where there are not as many people living around." Japan said quietly. "My soldiers whom had not made contact with this darker counterpart of myself are looking after the ones...infected."

America let out a low whistle. "Have you tried anger management with them?" he suggested.

"This is a serious situation," England scolded America curtly. "For once could you be less like yourself?"

America gave England a brief sour look and then his expression changed back to an eager one. "Hey, hey, I have an idea! If these doppelgangers are out there somewhere, why don't we just round them up and send them to the moon? Maybe they'll colonize the moon and stuff! Wouldn't that be totally awesome?"

America found himself being stared at from every nation present in the room, and he found that he didn't like that sort of attention. He would have preferred them cheering on his genius plan, but instead, an awkward silence caused him to back down and add weakly, "Uh, just kidding?"

"We could still 'round them up'." Spain piped up. "Send out search parties. There's roughly two hundred of us, so it might take a while but if we all work together-"

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on, we all have to work _together_?" Romano exclaimed incredulously. "What kind of bullsh-"

Germany stood up at once and exclaimed, "Wait a second, Romano? What the _hell _are you doing here?"

Romano gave Germany an offended look. "Aren't I a country too?"

"But what about Italy?" Germany demanded. "Don't you two live in the same house? How are you here and he isn't?"

Romano scoffed at Germany. "I don't stay home all the time you potato loving bastard. I was enjoying my day at a cafe when all of this bullshit started."

Japan cleared his throat uncomfortably at Romano's tendency to curse. "Um, well, in order to capture our copies, we must work together or-"

Other countries started speaking over Japan, having their own little arguments. Japan meekly stood there watching as the murmurs became heated shouts. All too soon, the sound of a shotgun startled everyone and drew their attention to Switzerland. He had a scowl on his face as he barked, "Everyone, shut up! This will only make matters worse!"

The nations sheepishly looked away from him, adjusting themselves back into position. Germany glanced around the huge table and asked Switzerland, "Where is your sister, Liechtenstein?"

Switzerland gripped his shotgun tightly. The countries around him grimaced, as if he was about to shoot again. "I don't know." he muttered.

Germany decided not to bother the country and cleared his throat, addressing everyone else. "According to Japan, these doppelgangers can bring out hatred in humans, correct?"

"Yes," Japan confirmed. "And they start fighting. It is horrible."

Germany folded his arms. "Well then, wouldn't it be even worse if two hundred of them were out loose in the world turning everyone else like that?"


	2. Sent Out

Germany watched as realizations took place before him.

Murmurs aroused again, but instead of taking an offensive tone, they were more concerned. He even saw a littler hyperventilating, although it was slight and only for a brief three seconds. _Finally, everyone is serious now._ Germany thought, relieved that the world wasn't totally doomed.

He spoke (thought, actually) too soon.

"Alright! Here's the plan. Germany, you back me up. Japan, back me up too. Oh, and Engl-" America pointed at each country as he spoke their name excitedly, ready to be out and running. Germany had heard one too many stories about America liking to be 'the Hero' from one too many people, and he had always thought that they were exaggerating his enormous ego, but he soon found himself mistaken and that everyone was right about America.

"America, how about this." Germany said, stopping America from adding Estonia onto his 'You're-my-Back-Up' list. "We all split up into groups by geographical region. These doppelgangers are strong, apparently, so we're not going to track down our own by ourselves. Minimum of three per team. Start looking for the ones who seem the most dangerous. Perhaps their level of danger corresponds with the size of land."

Japan cleared his throat softly. "If that is the case, then I would like to say I barely got out on time from my own fight with my doppelganger. I do not have a tremendous amount of land compared to others, so the bigger countries will be much more difficult to deal with."

Germany expected people to start talking again, but no one did. They looked expectantly at him, which flattered him a little but there wasn't any time to be flattered. Instead, he went to pull out a large, wide chalkboard and rolled it behind his chair. Quickly, he drew world map as accurately as he could, disregarding the borderlines, of course. His hand would die when it came to Europe and Africa if he had to draw the borderlines. When the map looked distinctively correct, he turned.

"Alright, so if the doppelgangers' strength are based on land mass, then the ones we must watch out for are..." He pointed to the left side of the chalkboard at the very top. "Canada."

Canada, who sat near the back, was shocked that Germany actually remembered that he was a country. He was even more surprised when he was named first. Although Canada wasn't sure if being named first was a good thing in this situation he was just glad he was remembered for once.

"America." Germany pointed below Canada. "Mexico. Brazil. Russia. China. India. And Australia."

He gave the room a long sweep with his eyes. "We'll start with those countries." Germany had the few countries he knew who would be a big help in organizing the nations help him. He knew Japan was level headed and he had him line everyone up in an orderly fashion. Germany also knew that England could keep his head if he wasn't around France or America, and so he had him help assign a country to a certain team.

"Each team is to track down these countries' doppelgangers." Germany yelled over the chatting of countries. He was generally concerned about the North America continent because the entire continent had only three countries and they were all on their list.

"Hey, since we're investigating around in my country, does that mean I'm leader?" America asked England and Germany when he got to the front.

England sighed and rubbed his head. "I honestly want to say no, but it's your country and you know it better than anyone else. What about you, Germany?"

Germany nodded his approval and the ecstatic American bounded towards his team. Since his neighbors would also have to be 'team leaders', America's team consisted of the countries who didn't live by any of the seven bigger nations (poor Canada, they seemed to have forgotten him again; even Germany had forgotten despite the fact he pointed Canada out first). America was content with them, and he started to talk about where his darker self could be hiding.

It was noon when everyone was sorted out (Canada still didn't have his team so he numbly joined another), and Germany sent them on their way, only saving a few countries at his house as 'headquarters'.

"But Germany, if everyone else has a darker self, wouldn't yours be around here as well?" England asked Germany, watching the world pass him as they exited.

Germany hadn't thought about that, but he didn't let his alarm show. Instead, he said to England that he had contacted his army and they were searching the country. England seemed satisfied and Germany excused himself to the lavatory, but we all know what Germany was going to do, don't we?

Within a few minutes, every soldier in the German Army went looking for the fake Germany, even though to them it sounded quite odd.

When he got back from the 'lavatory', he found that Estonia, one of the few nations he kept back, had already set up computers and monitors around the conference room. "What is this?" he asked the country, impressed with the technology.

Estonia smiled and pushed his glasses up a little higher on his nose. "I took the liberty to place a tracker on every country who was here. Now we know where they are, even if they get captured."

"Very impressive." Germany leaned forward to watch the red blinking dots move in massive groups across the world.

"And if you use the mouse to hover above a dot, it tells you which country it is and their background information." Estonia added, demonstrating. He hovered the mouse above a random dot and America's background information pulled up along with his birthday, interests, and a picture of him grinning at them. Germany noticed that there was a green square at the top left corner of the profile window.

"What is that?" Germany asked.

"It's the status of the country." Estonia explained. "Green stands for active, yellow stands for captured, and red if well...you know. Anything can happen." he added grimly.

Germany nodded. "I see. And, well, where did you get this information about America?"

"Facebook."

"Ah."

Germany glanced around the room again. England was at the chalkboard, writing out the countries to the side and where they were heading to. There was enough room on the chalkboard left to draw the world map three more times, so England had plenty of room to work with. In fact, he was currently drawing little chibi heads of each country, a skill he somehow managed to acquire. It seemed to be something Japan or Korea would draw. But then again, who said that England couldn't draw?

"Let's see, Estonia is in charge of the overview..." Germany muttered to himself. "If anything happens, he will be able to tell us. England is organizing everyone and updating everyone statuses...let's see..." He turned to Vietnam, another country he deemed responsible. He had heard of her history once or twice from China, and it was good enough for him.

"You will be the messenger." he told her. "Any information and Intelligence we get here will be passed on to everyone else by you, got that?"

Vietnam nodded and Estonia, who had been paying attention, instructed her to put the headset on and had her test it with the other countries already out there. Other than trackers, Estonia had seen to that every nation that left Germany's house had an earpiece so that Vietnam could communicate with them, whether it was one at a time, a certain few, or everyone.

Germany left them at the table and passed England, who was murmuring to himself, although when Germany passed by, it sounded as if England was talking to some mythical creature. He ignored the strange thought and went to the window overlooking the city. In the streets, he could see his troops march up and down the streets and his people stepping to the side in confusion. He sighed, his heart heavy. He may seem tough on the outside, but like every country out there, he loved his people. He hated to frighten them by showing off the army because that meant that something was up.

There was no other choice, however. In order to find his own doppelganger, he needed troops out there. He would have to make up for his people's fear later, after the ordeal was over.

"Germany, come look at this!" Estonia said sharply from the computers. Germany tensed and ran to the computer. Estonia pointed at the far east monitor and zoomed into so that the dots were not only piled on top of each other, but were now about a few centimeters wide and they were running all over the place.

"What is going on?" Germany asked hastily.

"There is something going on with one of the units in China." Estonia said quickly.

"I thought there were about eighty or so countries per team." Germany said uncertainly. Eight big countries, eight teams, two hundred countries. Wasn't that the right number?

"Germany, all eighty of them in one group in a place like China isn't the best." Vietnam said calmly. "It would be faster to split up and it will not create a scene."

Germany had forgotten about that in the heat of the time. He felt embarrassed by his brief naivety and muttered, "Right, sorry."

"Who are there?" England asked.

Estonia went through the dots and each profile pulled up. "Japan. Thailand. Malaysia. Taiwan. And...hold on..." He chased a lone red dot on the screen in order to pull up the dot's profile. "Korea." he said at last, after Korea's dot stopped for a few seconds. They watched as the dots dashed away from an invisible point and separate, only to meet back again seconds later.

"Vietnam, contact them right away." Germany ordered.

Vietnam nodded and left them to go to another monitor a few chairs away. She sat down in a chair as she punched in some things on the keyboard and spoke into the microphone. "Japan," she said quickly. _Good call,_ Germany thought. Japan would be able to be frank and not exaggerate things, like Korea. He too had heard stories about Korea and maybe he had heard one too many stories about him.

Vietnam paused and then said quickly, "Could you repeat that?" Silence. "China? The real one or the doppelganger?" Silence. Germany, Estonia, and England watched her expression grow from concern to shock. "Are you sure?" She then covered the mic and referred back to the three. "Dark China is after them."

Estonia nearly jumped up from his seat. "They have extra trackers on them." he said quickly. "Tell them to get one on him." The words tumbled out of his mouth so quickly that Vietnam hesitated, as if wondering what he had said but seemed to grasp the concept soon.

"Japan, please try to put a tracker on Dark China." she said as calmly as possible. She listened for a moment, and then shot a look at the monitor that showed her family. The dots were moving southwards, zag-zagging around the screen. "I see. There is a road you can take on the right coming up in two blocks approximately. Take that road and you will be able to get into the campus. Doesn't China stay there sometimes to visit and talk to the students? Perhaps you can take refuge there."

Silence again. Vietnam sighed and said, "Then please get there as quickly as possible. Thank you." She ended the connection and glanced back at the other three. "I told them to go to the Guangzhou University. Like you thought Germany, Dark China is very difficult to handle. Japan said that Dark China is very fast and strong. Malaysia had got hit once and is bleeding now." she said grimly.

Germany scowled and muttered something in German. Before anyone could do anything, he turned sharply on his heels and left the computers. He scanned the chalkboard, reading through the names England had written out in neat letters. He located a column of countries that weren't present at the meeting and were either captures or on the run. Or perhaps oblivious to the situation. There were many of them to his surprise. So many that the column was the fourth longest.

"England," he said slowly. He heard England leave the computers and walk to his side.

"What is it?"

"China's status says unknown here."

"Well, we don't really know where he is, do we?"

Germany stared at the word 'unknown' next to China's name. He glanced over his shoulder at Estonia and Vietnam. Then he glanced back at the chalkboard. "Make it clear that we know for sure that there is a doppelganger of him and where he is."

England nodded and picked up the suddenly short stick of chalk and wrote out to the side where Dark China was spotted at.

"Where is Dark China again, Estonia?" England called over his shoulder.

"Guangzhou."

Vietnam frowned. "Guangzhou is very close to Macao and Hong Kong. Regionally, I mean."

Estonia shared her frown. "It is. You don't think they could be there, do you?"

"By 'they', do you mean the real ones?" England asked from his chalkboard.

"Most likely." Vietnam said thoughtfully. "If Dark China is there, then what is his purpose there? Perhaps he acts as a guard. Guards aren't supposed to be around unless there is something worth guarding."

Germany interrupted. "Estonia, who else is around the area?"

Estonia zoomed out of the city and located several more dots scattered around China. To humans, traveling took days. For some odd reason, countries tended to travel faster and were able to travel to another country within hours. Some even walk home, despite the fact that their home might be located on the other side of the planet.

"It shouldn't take them long to get to Guangzhou." Germany said. "Vietnam, tell them to go there."

Vietnam nodded and went to do her job while Germany told Estonia to check up on the other countries outside of China. England was busy drawing new chibi heads for China's darker counterpart, wondering how to make China's doppelganger noticeably different than the original. He decided that adding 'angry eyebrows' that slanted downwards would suffice.


	3. The Streets of Guangzhou

Japan thought that, compared to the wounds his darker counterpart gave him, he was lucky. After finding refuge at Guangzhou University and inspecting Malaysia's wounds, he saw that he was indeed, a very lucky man.

He ignored stares from the students walking around the campus as he and Thailand held Malaysia down so that Korea and Taiwan could tend to the wound. What had happened to Malaysia occurred very quickly, so Japan wasn't exactly sure what was wrong other than the fact Malaysia's nose was a flood of red. Korea claimed he saw Dark China swing a blow to Malaysia's nose, causing it to bleed furiously. Taiwan claimed she heard a sickening crunch and well, the rest was all over their clothes and hands.

"How's the pain now, da-ze?" Korea asked Malaysia.

Malaysia sat up straighter and grimaced. "It's nub." he said thickly, holding a small ice pack to the bridge of his nose. Thailand had searched for ice minutes before and even though it wasn't the best treatment for Malaysia, it was as close as they could come to.

"Is it broken?" Japan asked.

Malaysia frowned and shook his head. "I don dink so. Not really."

Korea grinned. "Well it's okay then, da-ze. Nations heal faster than humans, you know."

Taiwan cleaned up the blood at Malaysia's front and worriedly looked over Malaysia. It was her tendency to worry, and she couldn't help it. "Are you okay now? Can you breathe a little better?"

Malaysia held up a hand and teetered it back and forth.

"Close enough. Now let's go find Aniki, da-ze." Korea said brightly, standing up. Taiwan gave him an astounded look, as if she found it near impossible to just call Malaysia's treatment 'close enough' and continue without another care.

"Wait, we don't know where to go, ana. And what if Dark China is out there waiting for us?" Thailand asked quickly, his smile faltering a little.

Japan surveyed the campus. He wasn't exactly sure why Dark China ceased his pursue. Maybe it was more troublesome to get students involved, but from what he had seen, Dark China could just bring out their hatred and all would be fine for him.

Then again, he was glad that Dark China didn't follow them to turn the students on them. That would be bad, especially when Malaysia was injured.

"I'b telling you, I'b fine." Malaysia said quickly, refusing Japan's hand as he got up. "I'll be okay."

By the time they recovered from the run they had, it was getting dark. "It's so weird, da-ze." Korea commented, staring at the sky. "One moment it's morning at Germany's, then you go to China and it's dinnertime. I'm getting hungry, da-ze."

"We'll eat soon," Taiwan said. "First, we have to get out of here. I feel like we overstayed our welcome, if we were welcomed in the first place that is."

"Vietnam said to go here, so I'll go anywhere sis tells us to go, da-ze." Korea smiled. "Well, almost anywhere." He glanced around at the dark streets illuminated by the streetlights that flickered on. The water that surrounded them (the university was somewhat like an island connected to the other land by roads and bridges) shined the light back to the sky. It was calm, but the quietness unnerved Japan.

"Let's go." he said, leading the group towards the exit.

Korea had told them to stop by some food stands and grab a bite, but they weren't willing to stop and eat when there was a doppelganger on the loose. He finally convinced them that a growling stomach could give away their position anytime and his own stomach growled loudly at them as if on cue.

Their dinner came from Japan's own pocket money, but he was more worried about Dark China popping out of nowhere. Instead of enjoying his dinner, he spent his time quickly eating and thinking up of a plan. Before they left, Malaysia requested more ice because the ice in his ice bag had melted and left water leaking at the bottom. He was rewarded with a brand new bag and ice.

"Ah, Aniki's food is pretty good." Korea sighed in satisfaction when they stepped back out into the streets. "But I have to admit that my kimchi is better, da-ze."

"This is no time to be claiming that you're our origin, ana." Thailand laughed nervously. "We have to find the real China, ana."

"Any ideas, Japan?" Taiwan asked, sticking close to him.

Japan nodded and led them across the streets, careful of the various bikes, motorcycles, and cars speeding by. There were times where someone sped by, startling Japan. He would lead everyone across in a hurry, wondering if the traffic was worse than Dark China.

"So where are we going?" Taiwan asked Japan, hurrying her pace to catch up with him.

"China has many different houses and apartments he likes to stay at." Japan said, looking up and down the street. "If Dark China is here, then maybe the real one is. Checking China's house first is probably better."

There were no arguments from the others, and they obediently followed him around. Over time, they shifted uncomfortably every time they stopped at the corner of a street, waiting for an opening to run across. Japan knew that they were getting anxious, and he knew why. Though he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't remember where China's home in Guangzhou was.

He was about to turn around and sheepishly admit he was lost when Vietnam's voice came on from his earpiece.

"I'm assuming you need help, Japan?"

He hung his head a little. "Yes. I do not remember where China's house is."

He listened to a small silence on the other side, and then Vietnam said promptly, "Keep walking straight. After you get to the next corner, turn right and you'll see a red sign on a narrow building. It should be the fourth building. Enter the building and go to the third floor. That entire floor belongs to China."

Japan didn't remember anything in the description that triggered his memory about China's Guangzhou home. In fact, it had been such a long time that all the streets and buildings would have been different. When he and the others successfully avoided becoming roadkill, they turned right and hastily fast walked down the sidewalk, searching for a red sign.

"Here it is," Malaysia said, pointing out a beige colored building that towered up above them. A dark red sign with neon lights blinked at them as they entered the building. On the outside, it would seem like the building would be visited very often, but the lobby was dark and unused. There was a stray rebellious light in the back, and that was the only light the lobby gave them. Taiwan clung onto Japan's arm, glancing around cautiously.

"Does the elevator still work, ana?" Thailand asked, leaving the group cautiously to the elevator doors. He pushed the up button and stepped back, waiting for any sign of movement. The doors slid to the sides for him and a small tiny _ding_ greeted him warmly.

"I don't trust that elevator, da-ze." Korea said at once. He gave the elevator a look of extreme suspicion. "Could be a trap."

"I think so too. Even if it isn't, it wouldn't be a good idea to get stuck in there." Taiwan agreed. "The stairs maybe?"

Malaysia beckoned for everyone to the side of the lobby and they hiked up the faded steps. It had gotten darker the higher they went up and Malaysia stopped them before going any further. "Can adyone see past this landig?" he asked quietly.

Korea frowned up at him. "Wait, what?"

"Landig." Malaysia insisted. "_Landig_."

"Landing, ana." Thailand confirmed as Malysia nodded.

Japan squinted in the dimness. "No, I can not."

"Neither can I." Taiwan said softly. They all hesitated before moving on. If no one could see anything in front of them, then they would be at a disadvantage. Anything could happen if they lost their sight, even if their loss of sight was temporarily.

Japan pondered the situation and then he smiled, reaching into his pocket. "I have an idea, everyone." he said, fishing out his cell phone.

Korea grinned. "A cell phone, da-ze. Just what you'd expect from Japan. Did you know cell phones originate in Ko-"

Japan cleared his throat to interrupt him. "Let's keep moving." he said. Malaysia and Thailand stepped to the side, allowing Japan to lead. The light from Japan's phone was dim enough to not attract immediate attention if anyone else was around, but it was bright enough to leave a spotlight on the ground in front of them and anything else that might be waiting ahead.

The door to the third floor was unlocked. Japan had tested out the handle quietly and saw that it turned easily in his hand. He eased the door open and pulled it ajar, peering in.

"Well?" Taiwan breathed to him.

Japan paused and then he swung the door open a little wider. "I think it is-"

They never heard him finish the sentence because the next thing they heard was a metallic clang hitting Japan's head. Japan dropped his phone in surprised and it fell a few steps down, landing by Korea's foot. Japan himself fell to the ground, holding his head, trying to shake off the vertigo and throbbing pain.

"Aiya, Japan!" China's voice suddenly exclaimed. "Why didn't you say that you were Japan in the first place, aru? Aiya...look what you made me done!"

"Aniki!" Korea exclaimed excitedly, jumping over Japan to pounce on China. China was taken aback by Korea's presence when Korea hugged him. "We thought you were tied up and everything, da-ze." Korea said earnestly.

Thailand and Taiwan crouched down by Japan, and Thailand gently prodded Japan's head where it was swollen. Japan laid his head on the ground, the world still spinning in a vertigo. He grimaced when Malaysia gently placed his own ice bag on Japan's head, but then relaxed a little when the pain seemed to ease.

"What happened?" a voice called anxiously from behind China.

Thailand perked and laughed. "Macao! Is Hong Kong with you, ana?"

"I'm, like, right here." Hong Kong said, coming out from the shadows. He looked tired, as if he had not slept for a while. "Like, what happened here, sensei?"

China scolded Japan. "You should have known better! I'll hit anything and anyone I do not know when they come through the door, aru! Silly brother, not knowing what to do, aru."

Macao hurried to usher everyone into a room and Hong Kong helped Thailand carry Japan after everyone else. As they piled in, China explained that a mysterious look alike entered the house and tied them all up.

"I was visiting my dear brothers, that was all, aru." China sighed, speaking as if he was telling a tragic story. "And they got tied up as well..."

Hong Kong crossed his arms and legs, staring at the wall. "We just got free. Sensei heard voices and we, like, thought they were from the look alike and its helpers or something."

Japan gave a small, barely audible moan and sat up, holding his head. Macao stood up in alarm. "Ah, wait. Sitting up isn't the best thing to do, Japan!"

Japan shook his head. "No. I will be fine. I have to contact Vietnam."

China brightened at the mention of his little sister. "Is she here, aru? Why don't we invite her in?"

"Aniki, Vietnam isn't here." Korea said in a matter of fact tone. "She's at Germany's, da-ze."

China's face darkened instantly. "She rather visit him than her big brother, aru?"

Korea and Thailand laughed at China's expression. Taiwan giggled. "It's not that, China. She's the messenger it seems."

China, Hong Kong, and Macao exchanged looks. Japan took the time to explain to them what had happened and that the 'look alike' that tied the three up was most likely China's doppelganger.

"Aiya!" China yelled, standing up at once. "This is not tolerable! And did this dark counterpart hurt you, Malaysia?"

Malaysia waved China away quickly. "It'sh nofin."

"No, it is definitely something, aru. We will find that Dark China and kill him." China scowled.

"Ah, China, before we do anything, let me tell Vietnam first. She will tell Germany and they'll decide what to do." Japan said hastily. He flinched at his sudden outburst, and then reluctantly allowed Macao to help him lay down again.

"Ana, I'll contact them." Thailand offered. After Japan nodded his approval, Thailand located a small button on the side of his earpiece and waited for his sister to answer.

"Thailand? Is everything okay? Have you found China?" Vietnam asked.

"Ana, we found him, Hong Kong, and Macao." Thailand said cheerfully. His smile widened after he heard Vietnam's voice relay the information back to Germany in the background. Germany sounded stunned at first, and then after a slight ruffling sound from the other side, he heard Germany speaking.

"Thailand, is it true that you found China, Hong Kong, and Macao?" he asked in his normal orderly tone.

"They are right in front of us." Thailand confirmed.

"And they are not the doppelgangers?" Germany asked.

"Ana, doppelgangers have red eyes according to Japan, right? They don't have red eyes. They are the real ones."

There was another ruffling sound followed by Germany's voice hollering at England to confirm their whereabouts and then to Estonia to input the data. Vietnam's voice came back shortly. "Thank you Thailand. Germany says to return with those three. Be careful."

"Thank you," Thailand said, and the static from the other side disappeared and things were silent again.

"Well? What did they say?" Taiwan asked with anticipation.

Thailand gave them all a wide smile and chirped, "We're going back to Germany!"

* * *

><p>Germany nodded to himself after England erased the 'unknown' from China, Hong Kong, and Macao's status line. In its place, he wrote 'found'. Estonia had went ahead and change their status from 'yellow' to 'green' on the computer and Vietnam told the other countries in China to stop looking for the real China (if they were looking for the real China) and to start focusing on finding his doppelganger.<p>

He had felt a little better, now that they have someone like China back. It felt like a small victory despite the fact that there were several more to go. Like Italy. And Prussia. He tightened his fist and stared at both of their names on the chalkboard.

"Germany."

Germany turned and looked at England. England's green eyes somehow pierced his own, which was a feat not many countries could do, and said, "We'll find them. You should know that."

Germany wasn't sure how to respond. His tough exterior part of him told him to tell England that he wasn't particularly worried, but another side urged him to thank the English man.

Torn between the two sides, he merely nodded at him. It was fine with England however. England himself did not expect anything from the stoic German. He left the board and hovered behind Estonia, watching red dots blink around the world. Vietnam was talking quietly a few feet away, pausing every other second to listen before talking again.

Here, at Germany's house, it was rather peaceful despite what might have been going on in the world. Germany had switched on a TV Estonia had brought in (he was like a second Japan with all of the technology and whatnot) and everyone else took a break to watch.

In Japan, there were news about the people becoming violent, as if they had no sanity left. They were like wild animals, controlled over by anger and hatred.

In another country, people were starting to do the same. Germany paled when the country was revealed to be the northern half of Italy. He had been to Italy plenty of times and they were peaceful people, kind and generous. It was a major shock to see them act so irrationally.

Their faces grave, Estonia, England, and Vietnam returned to their work and left Germany standing there, watching the news.

He watched as a death toll started to rise.

He watched as many other countries started to show the same behavior.

He watched as the world gradually brought out their anger and hate.


	4. Latvia's Guest

Although the majority of them were scared out of their mind, the Baltics (excluding Estonia, who was back at headquarters) agreed to join the Nordics (excluding Denmark, who was missing) in the search for Russia. Of course, Belarus and Ukraine wanted to go with them (especially Belarus). They were assigned a different unit to search a specific region of Russia (the last Finland heard, they were assigned to look around Siberia) however, and so they were not teamed up with the two sisters.

That was fine with Finland. He particularly didn't want to be around Belarus (she was scary) and he was 99.99% sure that his brothers didn't want her around as well. She had glared daggers at them before, and there was no way that he would survive the trip. In fact, he was sure he would be more terrified of Belarus instead of Dark Russia, although it cut close.

Of course, they were assigned to search the part of Russia on the European side. That was fine with Finland as well, because it was closer to home.

On their way to Russia, he took the time to inspect the three Baltic countries. He was glad Latvia was with them. They were friends and it was a great comfort to have more friends around; the more the merrier. "Um, wait..." Finland said, pausing.

The others stopped and glanced at him curiously. "What is it Finland?" asked Norway.

Finland knew that Russia was scary, according to Latvia's stories. However, if they were sent out to find a 'Dark' Russia, then wouldn't that be even worse?

"Er, well, we haven't even walked one block away from Germany's house and already we're terrified..." Lithuania muttered to himself when horror crept onto their faces.

Sweden, however, didn't let any horror creep onto his stony face. He only watched Finland for a moment.

"Let's just keep going." Lithuania piped up, tugging along Latvia. "Maybe we won't encounter him."

The next half hour flew by quickly, but they weren't at Russia yet. The countries they passed by, however, seemed to be preparing for the mass breakout of 'irrational violence'. The streets were empty; all the cities and towns they passed by were like ghost towns, but even though it was empty on the outside, Finland could see fearful eyes peer out at them through house windows.

They reached the countryside in Latvia, and Latvia, who obviously knew his country better than any of them, was leading the way. He was talking quietly with Finland, and Finland couldn't help but notice that Sweden started to walk directly behind them. Well, actually, it was more like Sweden was walking directly behind Finland himself.

They passed by a farmhouse and stopped, searching around in case they happen to find Latvia's doppelganger, if he had one. If Germany's theory was that the danger level corresponded with the land mass, then Dark Latvia wouldn't be so hard to deal with.

"Why don't we stop and rest here?" Latvia asked, sitting down on the porch of the farmhouse. The wooden floorboards croaked as the other five countries rested on the porch.

It was a beautiful day in Latvia. It was mid afternoon at the time, and the day was in its prime. The sun was shy, often hiding behind soft white clouds. The wind was light and carefree, and the smell of the country was wonderful. It was the kind of day that Finland liked. It was one of those days where one would want to lie down in the soft green grass and do nothing all day but stare at the gentle blue sky.

Sweden tensed and then faced west, looking down the country dirt road.

Finland glanced at the tall Swedish man and frowned at his sudden alarm. "What is it Sweden?"

Sweden didn't appear to hear him at first, but then he turned to look at Finland. Something in his green-blue eyes told Finland that something was wrong. Latvia seemed to sense it as well. Latvia stood up uncertainly and scanned the road nervously.

"What's wrong Latvia?" asked Lithuania. He didn't see anything wrong. Everything was very peaceful and placid.

Latvia pursed his lips. Norway and Iceland stood up as well, searching for anything out of the ordinary. "I feel like someone is watching us." Latvia coughed, shooting looks around them.

Sweden got up, towering above the other countries, and then walked to the door. He knocked on the door, waited, and then tried the door handle. It was locked. Finland frowned, wondering what Sweden was up to, but then he cried out in alarm, "No, Sweden, wait!"

Sweden had backed up a little and kicked the door down with brute force. The door broke off its hinges and collapsed to the ground, kicking up dust and dirt. When the cloud of dirt disappeared, Sweden cautiously stepped into the seemingly abandoned house, followed by Norway and then Latvia. The others piled in after them, inspecting the house.

It was an old house; a layer of dust had been undisturbed for years until they arrived. The living room was small and the floral wallpaper was worn and faded. It was frayed at the edges, but nevertheless it was still loyally glued firmly to the decaying wall.

The kitchen was small as well but they all managed to fit in. The round table in the middle was sticky underneath a thin layer of dust and the surface of the counters were rough. Stains adorned the wall and the floorboards were littered with dead bugs and old sawdust.

"It's like a movie set." Lithuania remarked. "I think America would like it here. Or, at least, enjoy to use this as a movie set, maybe."

"There wouldn't be any room for all of those cameras and lights." Iceland said, gently pushing a chair out of his way. "Oh, look. There's a stairwell over here."

He shot a concerned look at Latvia. In any horror movie America produced, there was _always_ something upstairs. Even though it was just Hollywood, going upstairs in a place like that was suicide.

Except, Sweden seemed to be oblivious to American movies. That, or he was amazingly brave. He hiked up the stairs without showing a flash of fear on his face. Lithuania decided that he must accompany him, seeing that the others were lingering around in the kitchen. He hurriedly rushed after Sweden, the floorboards creaking after him.

"Ah, Sweden, where are you?" Lithuania called, looking around the upstairs hallway. It was slightly dim up there, and he had the sensation of slight claustrophobia. Coughing slightly at the airborne dust, he made his way through the hall and carefully opened the doors one by one.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned, brightening. "Ah, Sweden, there you-" He froze. "Denmark?" he asked incredulously.

Though the lighting was horrible, he was able to recognize the Dane. He never felt so glad to see him. "You're alive!" he exclaimed happily. "Oh, I'm very glad. Everyone has been looking for you. Well, actually, we've been looking for the dangerous ones. We think Russia is a pretty dangerous one. We were on our way there to look for him but now that you're here, maybe we can contact Estonia and the others and tell them that you're-"

He gulped as Denmark's axe swung down, stopping abruptly before his entire right arm could be slashed away. There was something peculiar about his axe. It was pitch black compared to his silver bladed one. Everything about this axe was pure black; from the blade to even the shaft. "D-Denmark?"

Denmark lifted his head a little and Lithuania noticed his eyes. His dark red eyes.


	5. Dark Denmark

Dark Denmark didn't seem to show any expression at Lithuania's fear. Unlike the movies, the enemy would always show some sort of enjoyment in their victim's horror. Dark Denmark, on the other hand, merely regarded Lithuania with a cool indifferent gaze.

Lithuania backed away so that his right shoulder and arm wasn't directly below the bloodthirsty axe. His first instinct was to flee to the other countries but then that would put _them_ in trouble.

Well, there was no other way to go anymore. Dark Denmark blocked the hallway and the only escape was either to be trapped in the rooms behind him or to flee to the kitchen.

Lithuania decided to give the others a warning so that they could get out of the kitchen in time instead of suddenly seeing Dark Denmark and scramble around, creating chaos.

He backed up a little and then started to make a dash backwards yelling, "Get out of here everyone! Get out!"

Lithuania heard alarmed voices from below and then rapid footsteps moving and the rough spine-chilling, high pitched squeaks of the chairs scraping the floor. Lithuania thundered down the steps two at a time. Dark Denmark swung hard over his head, his black axe piercing the wall. The wall crumbled a little under the incredible sheer strength of Dark Denmark's swing. Lithuania yelped, jumping down to the floor the last three steps when Dark Denmark lashed the axe down in the middle of the staircase, creating the wooden stairwell to splinter and crack under the pressure.

Lithuania turned the corner to run into the living room, catching a glimpse of Dark Denmark leaping down from the staircase and onto the ground with a loud _thud_. Seconds later, he heard Dark Denmark swing again and a loud sickening crunch of wood gave him the feeling that Dark Denmark had split the kitchen table in two.

Outside on the porch, Latvia paled. "Where's Sweden?" he asked.

Finland paled with his friend and latched onto Lithuania. "Please, Liet, have you seen Sweden?"

Lithuania gulped, pulling them along with him until they were far from the farmhouse. "He isn't out yet?" he asked, shooting worried glances behind him.

"No, he isn't!"

Norway gazed at the house. "Was it Russia's doppelganger?" he asked.

Lithuania shook his head. "Denmark's."

That shocked the Nordic countries. Finland gaped at Lithuania with Iceland. Even Iceland's puffin squawked in surprise. "Denmark's doppelganger is in there?" Norway asked for confirmation, alarm in his dark blue eyes.

When it was confirmed, Norway didn't want to believe it. It was difficult for Norway to accept that one of his closest friend had a dark side. Well, he knew that Denmark could be bossy and demanding at times but that wasn't necessarily considered 'dark' and 'evil', was it?

"Wait, where are you going?" Latvia asked urgently when Norway started to walk towards the farmhouse.

"I'm going to see for myself," he said in a quiet voice.

"It's gotta be a trap though." Latvia said quickly. "If he isn't out yet, he might be waiting to lure us in."

"Or maybe he's fighting Sweden." Finland said nervously. "Sweden had beaten Denmark twice when they were warring each other."

"But this is a doppelganger and Japan said that they were stronger." Iceland reminded him. He shot a worried look at Norway. "How much stronger though?"

Finland was too caught up in his thoughts to realize something. "Oh, we should contact headquarters. Maybe they'll send back-up."

Lithuania automatically reached up to his ear piece. "Ah, yes, I had forgotten." He pushed the small button on the side and waited for an answer.

A calm but serious female voice answered him. "Yes? Has something happened?"

"Ah, yes, hello! We found Denmark's doppelganger." Lithuania said urgently, suddenly suspicious at the sudden peace at the farmhouse. "He's at some kind of old house in the country. He attacked us just minutes ago. Is there a chance you can send back-up?"

The voice sounded a little surprised. "Denmark? According to the map, he is a rather small country. Are you sure back-up is necessary?"

"I...I'm not sure. Maybe...maybe we can capture Dark Denmark and bring him back." Lithuania finished.

The female voice said something but it was not directed to him. It was directed to someone in the background. "Ah, England, they found Dark Denmark. Estonia, please locate Lithuania."

Another voice, Germany's, said, "Vietnam, what is going on there?"

The female voice, Vietnam, said, "They encountered Dark Denmark."

Germany sounded relaxed. "Ah, he isn't a big country. He shouldn't be too dangerous."

"Liet!"

Lithuania turned around and gaped at the front entrance of the house. Dark Denmark carried both Sweden and Norway's bodies over one shoulder and his axe rested on the other shoulder. Even from far away, Lithuania could make out a single expression from the doppelganger; an arrogant smirk.

"Vietnam!" Lithuania yelled into his ear piece as Dark Denmark advanced, throwing the limp Sweden and Norway onto the ground. "Dark Denmark just took down Sweden and Norway! He's coming to us now!"

"What?" came her harsh voice. She then addressed Germany. "Germany, Dark Denmark has defeated both Sweden and Norway. They are being attacked right now."

Another 'What?' came from the other side. "Who is left? Estonia!" Germany barked.

Dark Denmark was halfway towards them now. His black blade gleamed in the sun. Something dripped down from the edge, but it wasn't hard to guess what it was.

Iceland's puffin squawked in alarm, flapping its wings urgently. Iceland reached up to pet it, soothing it while he backed away a little. "Now what?" he asked the others.

Lithuania somehow heard Iceland's voice in his ear piece. This confusion was cleared at once when Vietnam said, "Can everybody hear me? I connected all of you together so you can all hear me. Please stall for a few minutes. Do not try to confront Dark Denmark until we know exactly how strong he is. We will send back up right away."

"So we run around in circles?" Finland asked incredulously.

"If that's what it takes." Vietnam said gravely. "I will be back in a few minutes. Please do not to anything stupid."

She was gone seconds later. Dark Denmark was now within range and the first thing they did was dodge underneath his swinging axe and dashed off back to the farmhouse. Lithuania and Finland both wanted to run directly to the porch where Sweden and Norway were at but they glanced back at saw that Denmark had targeted them.

* * *

><p>Estonia was a shade paler than before when he went through a list of countries that were closer to the Nordics and Baltics. Germany noticed his stunned composure and placed a hand on his shoulder. "They are very brave people." he said sternly, yet he didn't mean to be harsh. Just blunt. "Remember that no matter what happens, they will forever be remembered."<p>

Estonia cleared his throat nervously. "You make it sound as if they're gone, Germany."

"I get that a lot." Germany grunted. He moved on towards England at the chalkboard. "What have you got so far?"

England finished drawing Dark Denmark beside the real Denmark. Just like Dark China, Dark Denmark had 'angry eyebrows' to contrast itself from the real one. "Dark Denmark is spotted in the countryside of Latvia." he said, pointing to the status line. "The real one hasn't been spotted yet. Is that all you wanted me to write?"

"That's all. Estonia, who are you sending to help them?"

Estonia frowned, staring at the computer monitors. "Just...just how many do you want me to send over?"

Germany had debated over the precise number in his head before, but it was a long debate. Of course, he was a pretty good debater; he always seemed to make his opponents cower in fear before they give in but that wasn't the case here. He didn't want to send too many people because then it would slow their search down. There might be only five or six people per unit but every number counted; the Earth was a big place after all.

On the other hand, sending too few was a problem. If the few that had gone to help didn't make a difference, it was just like sending them out for nothing and the number of countries that are missing or injured would just increase. There was no benefit.

And then there was Dark Denmark's strength. Germany knew that Sweden had defeated Denmark a few times already in their history, and if Dark Denmark had defeated Sweden (_and_ Norway as well), then Denmark's doppelganger was a force to be reckoned with.

That only made him worry about how everyone else was doing in their brave hunt for the doppelgangers whose real selves have a lot of land.

"Germany," Estonia's voice broke Germany out of his thoughts. "I need an answer now. I don't think the others can last any longer."

Germany cleared his throat and said, "At least four but not over six."

The doors opened at the end of the conference room, attracting everyone's attention from their work and to the worn faces of some of the Asian nations. Vietnam looked relatively more at ease seeing that some of her family were back in one piece.

Germany went to greet them but stopped at the sight of Malaysia. He knew that Malaysia was injured but he didn't think it was so bad. Instead of letting Malaysia stick around to learn what had happened so far, he immediately sent him to the hospital. Malaysia was too battered up to protest and went without arguing.

Vietnam watched as her brother was whisked away to the hospital and asked Korea what had happened.

Korea plopped down into one of the seats near her, sighing heavily. He suddenly leaned his head onto her shoulder and said in a drawling voice, "Sis, you won't believe the adventure we went through, da-ze. There was a dark Aniki and he hit Malaysia in the face. Then we went to the university like you said, da-ze. We ate noodles at a noodle place later and Japan led us through the streets. We were almost roadkill, sis, _roadkill_." He shook his head and sighed again. "I think we got lost and Japan found the way and we went to the third floor of some building and found Aniki!" Korea's tone suddenly brightened. "And then Aniki hit Japan in the head, da-ze!"

As if on cue, Japan groaned as China and Taiwan helped him lie down on a makeshift bed created by the chairs lined up in a neat row. Germany ordered one of his maids to fetch a pillow and blanket but Japan quickly said, "No, I'll be fine Germany. Thank you."

"Then we all came back here, da-ze." Korea finished with a grin on his face. "Ah, but I'm a little tired. It was night over there and now it's afternoon again, da-ze."

Vietnam had an uncomfortable expression on her face as if she didn't like the idea of Korea dozing off on her shoulder. However, she didn't say anything and let it be, returning to the computer.

"Estonia," she said. "Have you found anyone to help the Nordics and Baltics?"

Estonia pushed his glasses further up his nose and nodded. "Four people. Are you ready to contact them Vietnam?"

"Go."

* * *

><p>Lithuania knew that hiding in the city was much more preferable due to the fact that there were more obstacles to hide behind or in. He remembered America telling him that if one lived in New York City, one could go years without seeing their neighbor once. It stunned him to hear that, but when America explained that people often woke up at different times, went to different areas, and returned home at different times, it made slightly more sense.<p>

Even if one wasn't trying to hide in the city, they end up staying hidden anyway.

The country was another story. Lithuania couldn't find good hiding spots and the spots that were suitable were either already taken or he couldn't hide there since Dark Denmark was tailing behind him; what good would hiding be if your enemy saw where you were going to hide anyway?

The farmhouse was already a mess and no one wanted to risk running through the debris. The abandoned pig pens with dry cracked mud used to have a wooden fence running around the perimeters but a furious axe happened to chop it all up, leaving a variety of wood chips and blocks lying around on the ground.

There was a barn, or, better yet, what used to be a barn. Earlier that day it was intact. Dark Denmark came along and, magically, holes and long gashes scarred the brick red outer wall and the hay bales that had been stacked on each other inside were gone. However, the floor was now thoroughly softer.

Out of breath, Lithuania climbed a ladder inside the barn and fell forward into a small pile of hay when he reached the top. He stayed there for a minute, recovering from the deadly pursuit, and sat up, looking around the barn. He perched himself near the edge, but not too far in case Dark Denmark appeared and looked up. Lithuania would be able to pull his head back in without risking himself.

He hastily pushed the button on the side of his ear piece to contact Vietnam again; it had been an excruciating four minutes. It might have not seem long, but when a doppelganger was seeking your head, it was torture.

There wasn't an answer at first, and so he repeatedly pushed the button over and over. And then suddenly, her voice brought him relief. "Lithuania, I apologize for taking a long time. Four people are on the way." There was a tiny break between sentences before she breathed hastily, "One of them is here already."

Lithuania deemed it safe to go back down the ladder. He flinched when he hopped down the last few feet; earlier, when he had to fend himself from Dark Denmark, the doppelganger had managed to cut him right above the knee. It wasn't so bad, but blood still ran freely. If anything, he'd bleed to death if no one bandaged him up.

Weary of the blood running down his leg, he tore off a piece of his pant leg and wrapped his knee with it. Sanitation didn't matter to him anymore; he could be taken to a hospital later to be inspected but now was not the time.

He heard fighting directly outside the barn doors and wondered if any of his friends were taking their turns to fight for themselves. Lithuania had once caught a glimpse of Iceland confronting the doppelganger and he had also seen little Latvia defending himself. Lithuania hurried to the doors and pushed one open to peer out. His jaw dropped in surprise. "Belarus!"

Belarus had just then successfully deflected Dark Denmark's axe with her knife; the axe clashed into the blade of the knife and slipped down the edge and instead of slicing her hand off the axe blade hit the ground, leaving a crevice five inches deep.


	6. First Blood

Belarus had been searching for Russia and was determined to find him. She was furious that she had been called to go help some other countries with Denmark's doppelganger. Honestly, she wanted to go straight back to Germany's house and threaten them all with her trusty knife and make them change their mind. She would have too if it were not for the time consuming trip over there, but even if she had time to go all they way back to force them to change their minds, she would rather prefer to ignore them and keep looking for Russia.

It took a lot of coaxing from Ukraine to get her to go assist the other countries. Belarus made Ukraine swear that she wouldn't get in the way of her and Russia when they find him and she had agreed. Belarus wasn't exactly content with that but it would have to do; Germany had taken over for Vietnam and had been yelling at her to go help the others.

And so that was how Belarus ended up fighting Dark Denmark in the middle of Latvia. It was something she never thought she'd do, but that didn't matter. What mattered now was killing that damn doppelganger and get the hell out of there so she could find her beloved brother and future husband (okay, so maybe that 'husband' thing was one sided, but Russia was always going around telling people to "Become one with Mother Russia, da?" so why not let _her_ truly become one with him?).

Belarus had to admit, Dark Denmark was one strong man. Already Dark Denmark had sliced her left ankle. Her blood ran down her shiny black shoes and onto the dry ground, puddling around her. It hurt to move, but her fierce will didn't allow her to slow down because of that. She gave it her all for Russia, because she knew that deep down, he would be cheering her on and win.

The axe came again, and Dark Denmark was charging now. Belarus, due to her petite figure, easily ducked underneath and lunged forward, her knife just as bloodthirsty as Dark Denmark's axe.

She stabbed the knife into him, forcing the blade in as far as she could get it. Normally she'd pull it out after that but for Russia's sake, she smiled cruelly and twisted the knife, making sure the damage was brutal. Pulling out, she pushed Dark Denmark away and watched as he toppled to the ground.

"Belarus!" Lithuania's voice exclaimed from the barn.

Belarus scowled and shot a look at him. "What?" she snapped.

Lithuania reddened a little in the face but he came out from his hiding place and nodded to her ankle. "You're bleeding. I can patch it up if you like."

Belarus declined at once. "I can do things myself." she sniffed.

"Hey, Liet..." Lithuania and Belarus turned at the sound of Finland's voice. "Is he dead? Is Denmark's doppelganger gone?"

Lithuania grimaced at how Belarus had attacked Dark Denmark. Even though Dark Denmark was an enemy, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the pain he (or it; the doppelgangers were physical forms of hatred so they'd be referred to as 'it', right?) went through.

Belarus threw back her hair and sat down on the ground, getting ready to tend to her wound. "He's dead." she announced. "I killed him. Now go and find Big Brother Russia." she added curtly.

"But we need to wait for Sweden and Norway to recover." Finland said uncertainly, keeping himself a good distance away from Belarus. "And some are injured. We can't just-" He stopped mid sentence, a new wave of horror washing onto his face. "He's not dead."

Belarus snapped her attention to him. "What? What did you say?"

Finland pointed behind her and Lithuania. "He's up, he's up!"

Dark Denmark chuckled. His voice sounded exactly like the real Denmark, but something about the doppelganger's voice seemed more sinister, sly, and cold. It has a near raspy sound, but then again, at the same time, it didn't. It was an ominous sound, one that seemed to echo.

No, not echo; it was as if two people were speaking. It sounded as if the real Denmark was speaking along with a more sinister version.

Belarus muttered something Lithuania didn't catch. But he wasn't concerned with what she said; he was much more concerned about how the knife wound was gone. There was no trace of blood on him; he healed completely.

"You can't kill me." Dark Denmark jeered. "You can never kill me."

Belarus gave Dark Denmark a death glare. Lithuania knew enough that the glare she had on her face was terrifying enough to even make Russia cower, and that was saying something.

Dark Denmark, however, didn't flinch. His smirk widened and he seemed to savor the glare. "You hate me, don't you?" he cooed mockingly. "You haven't killed me on your first try. I don't blame you for being angry."

Lithuania felt that the word 'angry' was a total understatement. Furious, infuriated, raging, vehement, and demented would suit Belarus a little better. All in all, she was like a demon. A very beautiful demon.

Belarus tried to stand up but she forgot that her ankle was in bad shape and gasped, falling back down. Lithuania rushed to her but she pushed his face away, scowling, "Don't touch me."

There wasn't time to argue. Dark Denmark was ready for them once again and he hoisted his axe up. He didn't charge. He took his time, leisurely making his way to them. Dark Denmark lost all expression in his face again.

Lithuania tightened his hand into a fist and stood up in front of Belarus protectively. He ignored her when she scowled she didn't need his help.

Dark Denmark stopped a few feet in front of him and a small smile played onto his lips. "Oh? You want to play again?"

Lithuania wanted to say something but Belarus jabbed violently at the back of his knee. His leg gave way but he caught himself before he fell by balancing on one foot. "What was that for Belarus?" he demanded, fear suddenly striking his heart. Because of Belarus, his right leg no longer worked thanks to her hitting a pressure point.

She glared at him ans repeated icily, "I do not need your help you bastard."

"But that doesn't mean you can disable me!"

Belarus silenced him with a deadly look. "Say that again and I'll gouge your eyes out."

Dark Denmark brought his axe forward, allowing it to rest on top of Lithuania's shoulder. Lithuania flinched but didn't dare to move. He felt like he'd sway and topple over but the edge of the axe was firmly fitted in between shoulder blade and collarbone and it held him in place. Lithuania grimaced when he felt it cut into his skin and fresh new blood ran down his chest and arm.

"Do you hate me?" Dark Denmark asked quietly. He eyed Lithuania carefully.

Lithuania hesitated, unsure of how to respond. From behind he heard footsteps running towards them but they stopped abruptly. Iceland and Latvia had probably arrived to the scene. Lithuania wanted to turn and tell them to take Belarus out of there and flee but he couldn't say anything.

Dark Denmark's dark red eyes flickered past Lithuania and glued his gaze on the people behind him. Lithuania froze, holding his breath. Did the doppelganger want to harm the others now? He couldn't let that happen! Not a chance!

Only...it was impossible for him to do anything in his situation. Dark Denmark lifted the axe out of his flesh and the sudden unbalance caused him to lean to the side. Hopping gently to keep upright, Lithuania watched in horror as Dark Denmark past him in a dark blur. Lithuania landed on the ground beside a scowling Belarus.

"You are on my foot." she sneered at him.

Lithuania scooted away from her meekly and started to drag himself to the others. They needed help, or at least a diversion so they could flee. But then he stopped and gaped at the towering Sweden who had grabbed the shaft of Dark Denmark's axe and was preventing the axe from swinging.

Dark Denmark looked surprised at Sweden's recovery but his look of surprise contorted to sheer distaste. He lifted the pressure from his axe and stepped back, but Sweden refused to let go of the shaft and held on.

Dark Denmark released his own axe and took advantage of Sweden's reaction and dealt a hard, clean blow to Sweden's head with his fist.

Sweden barely had the time to block; he managed to shift to the side and Dark Denmark's fist missed his nose and slammed into his cheekbone. Lithuania heard Finland let out a small whimper of distress when they all heard the loud sound the blow made. It sounded painful, but even if it was, Sweden didn't let them know the severity.

Sweden staggered back but gripped Dark Denmark's axe tightly, ready to swing with all of his might. Dark Denmark had anticipated that much and said hungrily, "Go on then. Have at it."

And so Sweden did. Lithuania wasn't particularly very close with Sweden, but one look at him and people get the impression he was very strong. He even heard the _swoosh_ of the the axe as it came down, and it came down so quickly that there was no dodging it.

Dark Denmark didn't dodge it. He didn't even look intimidated. What happened next was something unexpected and something that no sane person would ever do. Dark Denmark round kicked the shaft of the axe as it came down in a speed that Lithuania couldn't believe. He even doubted that it actually happened until the effect was shown; the shaft broke.

Everyone froze except for Dark Denmark as the upper half of the broken axe flew up and behind Dark Denmark. The blade twirled in the air, flinging small droplets of blood that remained on the dark metal, and lodged itself into the ground. Sweden was stunned. Even Belarus was dumbstruck.

Dark Denmark returned to a normal stance, adjusted his red cuffs from underneath his black coat, and looked up at Sweden with a demon like smile. "What's the matter? Didn't you hear me? I said 'have at it'."

No reply from Sweden.

Dark Denmark licked his lips. "I see. Was that it? Nothing up your sleeve?" Cracking his knuckles, Dark Denmark laughed. "You were much more tougher before you bastard. You were so strong that our wars were called into stalemate." Dark Denmark quieted and he shot a loathing look at Sweden.

Finland looked from Dark Denmark to Sweden, gulping.

Dark Denmark spat, "I may be a mere fragment of the real Denmark but I'm still part of him." He then paused, a broad smirk tugging at his lips. "And a mere fragment will kill you. You have no idea how long I had wanted to see this."

Without warning, Dark Denmark lunged, prepared to land another hit on Sweden. Finland was about to yell and rush forward to do something but there was no need. A loud _boom_ shot out of nowhere and a seemingly invisible force caused Dark Denmark to jerk away, stopping him before he could hit Sweden.

A small _click clack_ sound of a gun drew their attention far behind Sweden and to the blonde Switzerland with a scowl to match Dark Denmark's. "With everyone here one would think you have everything under control." Switzerland muttered.

* * *

><p><em>Denmark and Sweden had been at war roughly four hundred and fifty years back. The Nordic Seven Years War (1563-1570) was between Sweden and Denmark-Norway (the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway were united during the time). Other participants of the war included <em>Lübeck_ and the Polish-Lithuanian Union. After the fall of the Kalmar Union, Sweden wanted to "break Denmark's dominating position." Denmark-Norway was not satisfied with this and so war broke out. Neither side won; their men fought until both sides were tired of fighting. The Treaty of Stettin was signed on the 13__th__ of December, 1570. _

_ Another war between these two was during the Kalmar War (1611-1613). Sweden had found an alternative trade route that didn't require them to pay Sound Dues (a toll to pass by 'The Sound', which is a strait). The Sound Dues were one of Denmark's main source of income and that didn't make him happy. The war was also about which country controlled over Lapland. Denmark 'won' and incorporated Lapland into Norway, thus keeping Lapland under Denmark's rule. However, Sweden no longer had to pay the Sound Dues regardless of whichever trade route taken. The __Treaty of Knäred was signed on the 21__st__ of January, 1613._


	7. A Change in Theory

Germany watched as Estonia, England, and Vietnam stared at the monitor in anticipation. One of the countries (they weren't sure which one) had successfully activated a tracker and they assumed they stuck it onto Dark Denmark. They watched the red dots dance around the screen for a minute and then everything stopped for a moment. When nothing happened, England was about to say something out of impatience but then the back up tracker lunged towards Sweden's tracker. Estonia had nearly jumped out of his seat when that happened. He meekly sat back down when Dark Denmark's tracker stopped abruptly and backed away when Switzerland entered the scene.

"What do you think happened?" Estonia whispered.

"I can find out." Vietnam said. Moments later she found herself talking to Finland.

"Belarus and Dark Denmark _were_ fighting," the country said shakily. "And we all though she stabbed him and killed him."

"Where did she stab him?" she asked. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Estonia and England look up at her. All they could hear was her side of the conversation; if she was them she'd want to know what exactly happened as well.

"Stomach." Finland answered in a small voice. "It looked painful too. The knife went in very deep and she twisted it too."

Vietnam's face darkened. "And then?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Then the wound was gone and Dark Denmark looked like he wasn't hurt at all." Finland sounded urgent, as if demanding for an explanation that she could provide him with. Something like that wasn't a normal thing, even for a regular country. It was supernatural even. Vietnam knew that America would have a big fright after hearing something like that.

"Please continue." she said.

Vietnam listened patiently as Finland explained how Sweden came around and fought Dark Denmark, only to be punched in the face despite him disarming Dark Denmark. The axe was now broken and yet Dark Denmark still proved to be a great challenge. "How does Switzerland fare?" Vietnam asked. Estonia and England were now surrounding her on both sides, leaning in to catch the other side of the conversation. It irked her a little bit but she said nothing, knowing that it was unprofessional to whack them over the head (lightly) with her rice paddle. In other cases, she would normally do that.

"He shot Dark Denmark but Dark Denmark's wounds are healing right after he's shot."

England stood up straight and exclaimed angrily, "But that's bloody impossible!" Vietnam glanced up at him and gave him a stern look to be quiet. "I'm only speaking the bloody truth," England muttered, leaning back down to listen some more.

"What's going on right now?" Estonia asked Vietnam.

Vietnam repeated the question to Finland and Finland replied, "As long as Switzerland has bullets, I think we can get away and return. I'm glad he came in a car. Norway is carried to the backseat right now and Belarus is already in the car. But, Vietnam? What are we going to do with Dark Denmark?"

Vietnam was silent for a moment. As time ticked by without saying a word, she murmured that she'd ask and took the headphones off of her ears, resting them on her neck. "Germany," she called. "They're coming back here but they don't know what to do with Dark Denmark."

Germany honestly hoped that they would be able to at least knock the doppelganger out. He had heard that Belarus could not stand properly and that she was bleeding profusely. It was a shock to hear that such a small country could be that strong. If anything, he hoped Switzerland could take the doppelganger down with his shotgun.

"We'll leave them there for a few more minutes and then see what will happen." Germany said at last. "Anything can happen."

It wasn't even one minute before Vietnam was called again. She expected it to be from the countries out in Latvia, but instead it was one of the countries sent out to look for Dark Canada. "Have you found him?" she asked.

"Found him," Cuba said cheerfully. "Wasn't too bad. Pretty tough but we got him."

Personally, Vietnam was genuinely surprised, and it had been a while since she actually showed it without Korea popping out of nowhere and cause her to react on instinct (which was to whack people with her rice paddle). She was torn between Germany's theory about a country's land mass corresponding to the country's doppelganger's danger level. Canada was the second largest country in the world and he was already captured. Denmark on the other hand was obviously smaller than Canada, but much more powerful. How could be?

"What's the matter Vietnam?" England asked her. He had been looking over Estonia's shoulder at the monitor but he had been listening to Vietnam's side of the conversation about someone finding someone. He had a new stick of chalk in his hand ready to go but Vietnam's expression was unreadable.

"Denmark is a small country." she said quietly as if she was in a trance.

England raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, and?"

"Canada is much larger."

He stared at her. "Do you need to lie down? I can take over." he offered gently like any real gentleman would do.

Vietnam shook her head and snapped out of her so called trance. "They captured Dark Canada and rather easily and quicker than Dark Denmark."

England gaped at her and Estonia snapped out of his working mode to stare as well. "Who found Dark Canada?" Estonia blurted.

"Cuba is one of them." Vietnam said quickly. She got up from her seat and both she and England watched Estonia find Cuba. In southeastern Canada, near the border of the United States (the official name of America; America just preferred to be called 'America' just for the heck of it) Cuba was with the real Canada, Spain, Romano, and Greece. The red dots were gathered in an uneven circle in what seemed to be a park.

"On a scale from one to ten, one being easy and ten being impossible..." Vietnam said slowly. "How hard was Dark Canada?"

Cuba laughed for a while. "Probably a four or five. Maybe a six if you count the one time he broke Romano's wrist but-"

"How can you take that lightly?" Vietnam asked. "Is he okay?"

"He was bitter about it at first but I think he's fine. He's got 'big brother' Spain to take care of him." Cuba said.

"Hey, you three." Germany called from the door of the conference room. Vietnam and the other two looked up in surprise; they had forgotten Germany left the room a while ago. He cleared his throat and pushed a food cart towards them. "It's been a while since you three ate. Help yourself." he muttered.

"Germany," Vietnam said in a business like tone. "They captured Dark Canada."

It was Germany's turn to stare at her. "What?" he demanded. "This is not a joke?"

"I don't joke about things like this." Vietnam said coolly.

Germany held out a hand for her headphones and she handed them over. He motioned for her and the others to go ahead and eat, putting the headphones on. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Cuba,"

"Tell me what happened Cuba."

Cuba told Germany what had happened as Estonia, England, and Vietnam ate their late afternoon snack. It was still a bit too early to call it supper but it was much too late to call it lunch. They were silent the entire time, wanting to know what had happened with Cuba and the others but Germany stayed silent and his silence didn't give them a clue.

"I see then." Germany said at last once they finished eating. "Come back then. I'll have Vietnam tell the other units to return as well. Thank you for your service. You did exceptionally well. You are very brave people and I am honored to have had you on my sid-" Germany paused and then growled, "I know. I get that a lot."

"What do you get a lot?" Estonia asked.

Germany rubbed his forehead with a small scowl. "Every time I bid farewell to someone they tell me it sounded as if I do not expect to see them again."

"Well obviously." England said, heading over to the chalkboard to change the status about Canada's doppelganger. "The way you say it makes people think they're in the military and that they're going on a suicidal mission."

"Is that true?" Germany asked.

England resisted the urge to roll his eyes and nodded curtly. He then wrote out the words 'captured' on Dark Canada's status line. "Alright then. We spotted Dark China at Guangzhou. Dark Denmark is in Latvia. Dark Canada is captured. Germany, do you think that the theory is wrong?"

Germany folded his arms and tapped his foot in thought. According to Cuba, they had quite a few injuries before they tied Dark Canada up with rope. Cuba said that they were lucky Greece had rope on him. "It was strange though." Cuba had said to Germany. "This doppelganger was pretty aggressive and the real one is the total opposite. Can you imagine a guy like Canada act like that?"

Even so, the theory was no longer backed up by hard core evidence. There was a case that contradicted it, and even though it wasn't confirmed and it was all based on examination, they needed a new theory.

"Oh, hey Germany..." England said suddenly. "Don't you think you should call everyone back? If the theory is wrong then we don't really know what to look out for anymore now do we?"

Germany didn't want to call _everybody_ back. It was a hassle to have hundreds of countries show up on your doorstep so soon; he had always thought world meetings were troublesome to the host country but then again, that was what he got when he made his house the headquarters.

But still...

"I'll take that as a yes." Vietnam said indifferently, going to call everyone back.

Germany snapped his attention to her and said, "Wait! I didn't even say anything."

She stopped what she was doing and crossed her leg, leaning back in her chair. "Then what do we do?"

Under the expecting gazes of Estonia, England, and Vietnam, Germany wondered if he should assign someone the title of 'second in command'. He was still stressed that his army still had failed to locate his own doppelganger; he planned to have them search for the real Italy and Prussia if the German Army found Dark Germany.

Germany sighed. The fate of the world rested in his hands. There was no way he was going to risk everyone out there with false information (well, probably not _false_ but rather _misleading_). "Tell them." he growled. He left the three in the conference room to go search for Japan. Japan would be able to help make decisions. Germany thought about letting Japan be Second in Command and he deemed Japan worthy enough.

"Japan!" Germany barked through the halls. He waited for Japan to come to him and soon enough he did with a new ice bag resting on top of his head supported by a hand. "Are you feeling better?" Germany asked.

Japan nodded. "I'm fine. It's just that China believes I have a concussion and I need to go to the hospital." After seeing Germany's look of concern, Japan quickly added, "But it's not a concussion! As long as I have an ice pack to soothe the pain, China is content and so I will keep an ice pack with me even if I don't need it." Japan relaxed when Germany didn't seem to mind. "Uh, Germany? Was there something you need from me?"

Germany eyed Japan for a while; he looked somewhat paler than usual. "How are things back at your house?"

Japan lowered the ice pack from his head and adverted his eyes. "Not very well." he said quietly. "However, I heard that other countries are worse off than me. It is all over the news and media. They fear that the world will fall due to the outbreak."

This was not good at all. "Japan, tell the others to meet in the conference room. There's some information we all need to know." he said sternly. Japan nodded and left at once.

It was dark outside when everyone was accounted for; England had made sure of that. Countries that were not used to Germany's time zone were starting to doze off, tired and discouraged. Many had came back to see that their home had collapsed or was on the brink of falling. Germany had to turn the TV off to prevent from some countries from fainting in shock.

"What's going on now Germany?" Spain asked Germany on his way to his seat. Germany shook his head, meaning that he'd explain once everyone was seated. Spain was someone who could not read the atmosphere (or so many said). He nudged Germany with his elbow. "Come on now," he said. "You can tell me. Did you find someone? Did you find Prussia? Or is it Italy?"

Germany's eyes hardened and even Spain could sense that it was best to stay away.

Spain laughed nervously and waved Germany a quick farewell before racing to his seat.

The room was solemn; even America looked quite reserved. England seemed like he wanted to say something about America's behavior but stopped himself and decided not to. Instead, he asked Germany if they could bring 'him' in.

"Who's 'him', aru?" China asked. Some countries straightened in their chairs, staring at China as if he was an alien. "What?" China asked defensively.

"You're back!" Ukraine exclaimed. She smiled and added, "So today has not been a total failure at all, has it?"

Murmurs aroused but they were quickly silenced when Germany slammed his fist onto the table. Everyone always stopped whenever he slammed his fist. They turned to stare at him this time, and he cleared his throat in annoyance. "You three bring him in." he commanded to Estonia, England, and Vietnam.

They got out of their seats and rushed towards the door, meeting at the end of the table and slipped out of the room. They were gone for several minutes. People shifted uncomfortably. Normally they'd talk to pass the time but with Germany watching them all like a hawk, no one bothered to.

At last the doors flung open with a bang. With everyone's attention directed to the doors, they watched in fascination as England and Vietnam pulled and shoved at a tied up figure yelling things out in French. At first people thought it was France himself because of the figure's blonde hair but the voice seemed too young to be France. Estonia blocked the doors as a precaution; the struggling figure could escape anytime.

As England and Vietnam passed by with the figure, the countries craned their necks to get a better look at the man's face. At first they blinked quizzically; it wasn't until England, Vietnam, and the mysterious figure passed by America that they realized him. "Canada?" America exclaimed, stunned beyond other words.

Only, it wasn't Canada. The man turned his head to look at America, his blood red eyes piercing America's light blue ones. America suppressed a shudder; it was odd to see his pacifist-like brother give him a cold look like that. Of course, there was that one time where Canada managed to make America cry after a three hour rant about all of America's faults but that Canada was the 'Angry Canada'. This one was different. Something about Dark Canada reminded him of one of the scariest horror movies he had ever watched.

Germany dismissed Estonia, England, and Vietnam and the three quickly returned to their seats. He kept a firm grip on the collar of Dark Canada's shirt but Dark Canada no longer tried to escape.

"Wait, hold on Germany." Austria said loudly. He stood up. "Canada is the second largest country by land mass. How is he the first captured and on the first day?"

Everyone looked at Germany, waiting for his response. Germany's mouth formed a thin line as he scowled. "I am...probably wrong."

An audible gasp erupted from the mouths of the countries around him. He gritted his teeth when Hungary exclaimed, "Wrong about what?"

Germany coughed. "How dangerous a country is probably not determined by land mass."

"So what determines their strength, da-ze?" Korea piped up.

"I don't know."

"Eh? What did you just say, aru?" China asked, staring at Germany.

Germany felt himself redden. It wasn't every day that he admitted he was wrong but it wasn't also every day he admitted he didn't know what to do. "I said I don't know." he snapped. "Now someone brainstorm a list of ideas about any possible factors. I'll be interrogating this doppelganger. England, come with me. Everyone else, think." He surveyed the room. "Now."


	8. Interrogation

Dark Canada looked exactly like the real Canada but there were two obvious things that contrasted him from the real one; Dark Canada had red eyes like every doppelganger had and he was missing a small polar bear. In fact, Germany wondered if Dark Canada owned a polar bear doppelganger.

"How do you know Canada has a bear, Germany?" England asked him as they entered the Interrogation Room (also known as Germany's living room).

Germany found a chair for Dark Canada and sat him in it, replying, "Estonia."

"And how does Estonia know that?"

"Facebook."

England gave Germany a weird look. "Why Fac-"

"We're questioning him, not me." Germany growled, cutting England mid sentence. Germany glared at Dark Canada who glared back. "Look. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice."

Dark Canada laughed mockingly. "What makes you think you can affect me? Besides, anything I'll tell you won't make a difference."

England sniffed. "If that's the case then I dare you to tell us everything." And then he smirked. "That is, if you still think any information still won't benefit us."

Dark Canada scoffed. "Do you really think I have the time to tell you? _Je n'ai pas le temps._" Dark Canada studied their faces, and then smiled. "Or maybe I do..."

Germany lunged forward, fitting his right hand around Dark Canada's neck. He tightened his grip, making sure to put a scowl on Dark Canada's face. "You bastard!" Germany hissed. "What the hell are you doing to the world?"

Dark Canada didn't answer the question. Instead, he hissed, "Let me go." Once England loosened Germany's fingers from Dark Canada's throat, Dark Canada started talking. He kept a calm tone but both Germany and England could hear a malevolent edge.

"We're tired of this useless talk of peace." he said, sounding highly amused. "World Peace is not attainable, not as long as there is history. And everyone knows you can't change history."

"What has world peace have anything to do with you and the other fakes?" England demanded.

Dark Canada sized England up and smirked. England found that he had a crazy urge to punch the smirk off of Dark Canada's face but he resisted it. "We're the physical form of your hatred." Dark Canada mused. "As long as we still exist, there will be no peace. Look at things now; there are fights over oil now. Isn't that right?"

Germany and England were silent. Dark Canada talked over their silence, adding things in that wasn't even relevant to the question. Dark Canada seemed confident to tell them quite a bit without hesitating.

"History plays a big part you know. Throughout history you all have gained hate towards another country or thing. Hell, we even develop if you even dislike something. We grow, and even now we're growing." Dark Canada laughed. "You know how?"

Germany and England leaned in forward with anticipation. This only made Dark Canada laugh even harder. "You don't, do you? Normally I really think that me telling you won't change the victor; that's obviously us. But this has been rather easy so I'll keep my mouth shut about that just for the fun of it. Fun, don't you think?"

"_You bastard!_"

"Germany, stop!" England held Germany back by reaching underneath Germany's arms and hooked Germany's arms back, also preventing the angry German from beating the crap out of their captor.

England used all of his strength to heave Germany in the other direction. Germany stumbled a little but he regained his balance. England expected him to dive right back in but he didn't. He merely cracked his knuckles, muttering something under his breath.

"Look you bloody git." England growled at Dark Canada. "I don't know what you're playing at but listen here. What do you plan to do when all of our people have been taken over by this madness you've burdened them with? What do you plan to do with us, eh?"

"What do you mean?" Dark Canada asked innocently. "It's nothing big. We just want a full out war. Makes us stronger, you know. The older ones have been longing for it." He grinned.

England gaped at him. "You mean you want war?" he repeated blankly. "Why the bloody hell do you want war?"

Dark Canada spat. "Idiot, we're the very forms of hatred." He glared at England. "Each of us represent a country's hate. Even if they don't feel hate towards someone anymore, they used to. As long as they used to hate, the same hate can be brought out. You in particular had taken control over me, over Canada."

England was bewildered. "But, you're supposed to represent Canada! He never shows hatred." He couldn't believe that the kind, reserved nation could harbor any hate. But here was Canada's 'hate' right in front of him.

Dark Canada's red eyes gleamed. "Oh he doesn't, he never does. But he has dislikes; who doesn't? And like I said you idiot, we can grow from that dislike into hate."

Germany frowned. "So each country's doppelganger harbors a country's past hatred?"

Dark Canada grinned. "Oh so _now_ you got it. I knew you all were dense but I never imagined that it was _this_ bad."

England gritted his teeth. "Oi! You and the others are nothing without us!"

Dark Canada mimicked him in an extremely exaggerated British accent. "Oi! You and the others are nothing without us!"

"I don't talk like that." England snapped.

"I don't talk like that."

"Shut it!"

"Shut it!

"Why you little _git_!" Germany grabbed a hold of England's collar and yanked him back before England could succumb to violence. England furiously shoved Germany's arm away but made no sign of landing a blow on Dark Canada.

"Enough." Germany barked. He gave Dark Canada a glare at which he was returned a total look of indifference. "Leave him, England. I'll have my men lock him up. I don't think he'll tell us anymore."

"He bloody won't." England muttered under his breath.

"He bloody won't." Dark Canada mocked.

Germany stepped in between Dark Canada and England before anything could happen again. "England, go back to the Conference Room and tell everyone what we know now." Germany instructed. England cursed under his breath but turned on his heels swiftly, leaving the room with a foul mouth.

Dark Canada mused, "Well Dark England can thank me now."

Germany snapped, "And why is that?"

"Now why will I tell you, hm? Je ne suis pas stupide." Dark Canada retorted. "I'll say nothing more. But even if I do, your slow minds won't figure it out until it's too late."

And so Germany lost his patience with Dark Canada and ordered his men to throw the doppelganger into prison and to guard it at all times. Dark Canada didn't resist them; he did however glance back at Germany while he was taken away and smirked.


	9. Three New Plans

By the time Germany returned to the conference room, England had finished telling the other countries about the Intelligence they had got out of him (Germany noticed that England didn't seem to mention that Dark Canada pretty much told them a lot of things on his own will). With a deep breath, England called for one of Germany's maids to fetch him a cup of tea, saying that he was parched.

The new information England had told them only led to more concern and outbursts of opinions. "So whoever or whatever we used to hate or even not like, they exist because of that?" Austria asked, his nostrils flaring in indignation. The simple thought of powerful 'beings' existing just because they had human emotions was clearly not a popular thought. Murmurs aroused for the umpteenth time and the overall tone sounded disapproving despite the fact they were talking about pieces of their true selves (or what they were like in the past).

"That's what I said, didn't I?" England huffed. "And they can grow stronger. We don't exactly know how but that doesn't matter; we can build up on what we know now." Germany's maid made her way back to England with a cup of steaming tea. After a sip, England added, "And according to Switzerland, they can't be injured by normal means. He shot enough bullets to leave a gaping hole in the middle of a body and yet Dark Denmark-the doppelganger he shot- ended up not getting hurt."

Germany cleared his throat to make his presence known. England turned around to acknowledge Germany. England nodded to him, taking another drink out of the teacup. "Is there something you want to say?"

"When you left, Dark Canada said that your particular doppelganger would have to thank him." Germany said in a low voice.

England looked startled. A glint of realization flashed in his green eyes. "You don't think..."

"I do." Germany grunted.

"Aiya," China scowled, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. "You're not saying that they feed off of hatred are you, aru?"

Before Germany could say anything, Australia interrupted. "Hang on, do they feed on any specific hate or any kind of hate?"

"Dude, hate is hate." America said pointedly."They can bring hatred out and let it control people, they can grow stronger somehow, and they really are 'hatred'."

"Aw, Germany, you should have asked him specifically whose hate they feed off of, da-ze." Korea sighed.

"He wouldn't have said anything," England scoffed. "Honestly, he thought we were all idiots that little-"

"Well obviously!" America exclaimed, his liveliness returning. "They're 'dark', England. They insult people and things all over the place; you didn't take it to heart did you?"

"I absolutely did not!"

"Everyone is too loud." Switzerland muttered. He wasn't injured from the event earlier that day; the other two countries who were supposed to help back up the Nordics and the Baltics arrived in time to help everyone escape. If Hungary and the Netherlands didn't show up, he knew he'd run out of bullets and then he'd be in trouble. They had lost Dark Denmark but he had heard from Lithuania that a tracker had been put on him.

Germany could always feel a vein bulge whenever he got angry; he seemed to have felt it all day. He could have screamed his head off right then and there but thankfully the majority of the nations knew how to read the mood and quieted at once, peering nervously at Germany's 'anger vein'.

"Theory two," he said loudly for everyone to hear."Doppelgangers get their strength from us; whatever hate we felt in the past is still with them. Whatever hate we feel now will strengthen them; as time passes, even seconds ago counts as history."

"So what do we do Germany?" Japan asked.

* * *

><p>There were three tasks they all felt like they needed to do; the first and the most important was to evacuate the people who had not been affected by hatred. China had said he owned an island that was not populated other than a Chinatown he built there ("Where have you not built a Chinatown?" England asked China.).<p>

"That's great and all but there is still a lot of people out there who are safe." Spain said. "There won't be enough room."

America waved his hand in the air, eager to be picked on. "I say we send them to Antarctica!" he said with fierce determination. "No ones lives there!"

"There's a reason why no one does." Hungary reasoned. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe they can just stay in their respective country but move them to the countryside. Japan did that and it worked, right Japan?"

Japan considered this. "It might not be flawless," he said slowly. "But this is an emergency so that will have to do."

It would be a huge mistake if everyone went their own way back to their country and evacuate without others nations to assist. Germany assigned dozens of nations the responsibility of helping other nations' people move.

The second task was to find the rest of the doppelgangers and capture them. This would be the hardest task and the second most important so far. America was eager to go back out there but Germany convinced him to rest before leaving. America was crestfallen but he had to give in due to his sudden grogginess.

The majority of the countries were given this task and thanks to some research in Germany's library (and the internet) they had a good idea of which countries were less aggressive than others. Some doppelgangers like America or China would be incredibly difficult to handle and would require at least six to ten people (or more; they didn't have the experience to truly distinguish the variation of strength between doppelgangers). Some countries that didn't seem to have such a bloody past seemed much more easier to handle and a minimum of two to three people were sent out.

The third task wasn't as important as the other two but was a major problem; finding the missing countries. There was still no sign of Italy or Prussia and it worried Germany. He was sure Prussia could hold his own but Italy was another story.

France was still gone, Russia was missing (much to Belarus's dismay), and many more were no where to be found.

Back at headquarters, Germany would have normally kept England and Vietnam back but he knew they were both capable of handling bigger things. He would have sent Estonia out as well but Japan had gone out to help evacuate so he had no one else who was a whiz at technology like Estonia. Everyone else who would be perfectly fine with this sort of task was either sent out or missing.

"It'll be fine Germany." Estonia said, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "I can handle things here."

Germany himself would be helping with searching for doppelgangers; he had his eye on one particular one and that was his own. Deep inside he knew he had a bloody history and he wondered just how strong his doppelganger would be. With him he recruited Cameroon, Sweden, and Switzerland. He certainly didn't want to hog other nations and he planned to have some of his own men with them.

All of the planning and preparing took two days. Though it was only two mere days, it felt like forever and everyone was anxious to get on their way. Two days had been too long of a wait.

"Are you sure everything will be okay, Estonia?" Vietnam asked him, putting on her ear piece. Along with England and Canada, the three were to search for France. Germany knew that the three countries had something to do with him in their past. England had hated him (Germany told England to watch out for his own doppelganger in case if seeing France's face would trigger a wave of frustration). Vietnam had been in his control for nearly a hundred years (Germany also wondered if Dark Vietnam was going to be around). Canada had also been under French control (Germany knew that Dark Canada was locked up so he didn't really worry too much.)

"This shouldn't take too long." England said, finishing his tea before he and the other two went off.

"It depends on whether you find him or not." Germany said shortly. He too was getting ready to depart. His comrades were waiting by the door, doing a last minute check up. "Where are you looking first?"

"His house," England said. "Isn't that obvious?"

"There might be a trap."

England chuckled. "That's what grenades are for."

"As long as you throw them right..." Germany muttered. He remembered that Italy and his brother Romano tended to throw the safety pin and not the grenade itself. He had no idea how they managed to survive but then again, no country could truly fall unless their people fell with them. As far as he knew, nations can withstand injuries that would be lethal to normal people. Although there were rumors that if a country got injured, their economy somehow manages to fall and correspond to the severity of the country's injury. Nothing had confirmed this but it was a well known rumor.

Germany sighed. He didn't want to admit it but he missed Italy's carefree personality. He even missed the pasta he used to make for him and Japan.

England, Vietnam, and Canada left soon after America, Spain, Romano, Australia, and New Zealand departed to look for Russia (Germany thought it was an odd group but didn't say anything; he didn't feel like dealing with America's explanation for why he chose who he chose. If anything, he learned that America was America; that was it.).

There were several other weird groups made up of nations that seemed to not have any relations with each other; trade didn't really count because everybody pretty much traded with anybody.

Germany had seen Thailand, Mexico, Greece, and Belgium talking pleasantly with each other; the four were preparing to set out and evacuate Mexico. Then there was Norway, Egypt, Poland, Iran, and Macao who were discussing the entire situation as if they were neighbors. Technically it was Poland and Macao talking while the others listened.

Perhaps the mix matching of nations could help simmer the hatred of the doppelgangers. Dark Canada had scoffed at the idea of World Peace because he said that every country had hated another at one point (or something like that, Germany didn't have his journal with him so he didn't take notes to be exact; he relied on England to remember). The other nations were being sympathetic with each other, especially with the ones who seemed to be falling in a horrifyingly rapid rate. So far, Germany heard that Moldova, Belize, and Kenya were lying down somewhere in some of the many guest rooms in his house trying to recover from a cold or fever.

"Germany."

Germany turned away from watching Korea joke around with Paraguay and glued his eyes on Cameroon. Cameroon raised an eyebrow. "Are you ready?"

Germany gave him a nod. Cameroon smiled gently at him. "Then let's go find your doppelganger, Dark Germany."


	10. Trespassing France's House

England had been in France plenty of times. Even though the majority of the time he was there for battle and fighting he always thought that France truly was a beautiful country ("As in the land," England promptly told Vietnam when he voiced his opinion. "He lives in a beautiful place, he himself isn't 'beautiful'".)

This trip wasn't the same. Sure, there was the same feeling of anticipated violence. Back then, England expected attacks from France. Right now, he expected doppelgangers to pop out of nowhere. But something about the atmosphere made the environment seem very eerie.

England heard from Germany that Japan was here in France as well but he was helping to evacuate the French, not look for the real France. The city they were in was very quiet and deserted; Japan must have already visited that particular city.

There were times where England could hear another set of footsteps. He would get a suspicious feeling and stop, telling Vietnam that they might be followed by someone.

Vietnam only shook her head. "Have you forgotten Canada is with us?" she asked.

England glanced behind them at Canada, who smiled at him shyly. Oh, yes. That was right; Canada was with them as well.

Vietnam sighed as England gaped at Canada. She didn't know why people kept on forgetting him; perhaps they were all so old they couldn't even remember. Honestly, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him; she was sometimes forgotten as well but not as much as he. "Come, let's go to France's house." she said, leading the way.

"Er, Vietnam, do you know the way?" England asked.

Vietnam slowed to a stop. She gave England a reluctant gaze before she nodded. "You don't remember, do you?" she asked quietly.

England looked away. "I don't want to remember." he muttered.

Vietnam nodded decisively and led the two around the city until they reached France's house. It was big and outrageously flamboyant. The high iron fence even had elaborate designs. England shook at the gates. They rattled but refused to open.

Canada tugged at them as well, saying, "Maybe we can scale?"

"We could but Vietna-" England started to say. He was cut off by a look from Vietnam. "What?"

"Don't you worry about me." she said, sounding slightly cold. "I'll be fine." She glanced up at the gate, jerked at it a little to make sure it really was locked, and then she slipped off her stilettos, muttering about how she couldn't find any other suitable shoes. With both her high heeled shoes in hand, she tossed them carelessly over the gate and they landed with a loud _clack_ on the other side on the pavement.

Cracking her knuckles, she pressed her bare foot against one of the iron bars and gripped her hands around them. Vietnam pulled herself up, advancing upwards as quickly as possible before her hands start to slip. England and Canada watched her, prepared to catch her if she slipped and fell.

But she didn't and she swung her leg over the top of the gate and to England and Canada's alarm, jumped the rest of the way down.

She caught their expressions and a gave them a small frown. "I said don't worry about me." she scolded. "Now hurry up and climb over."

England and Canada were heaving themselves over the top of the gate while Vietnam slipped her feet back into her shoes. With the three over the gate, they cautiously approached the house. England's hand brushed by his gun, eager to draw it and aim if anything happened. Vietnam and Canada knew the house better than England and led, leaving England to back them up and make sure they weren't being followed.

The house was in ruins. The windows, upon closer inspection, had several spider web-like cracks running around the surface and gaping holes. A chandelier used to be high above the foyer but it rested pitifully in the middle, shattered glass littered around the room. With each step, they winced at the loud noise the glass made when they stepped on it. With the empty silence in the house, each small noise they made sounded as if someone took a microphone, stuck it in an amplifier, and held the mic down to their shoes.

"What the bloody hell happened here?" England muttered, nudging a broken vase away from the entrance to the living room.

Canada stepped over the broken vase and entered the living room. He was drawn to a bookcase at the opposite wall and bent over to peer at a few fallen picture frames. As he picked them up, brushing off the broken shards of glass, he realized that it was a picture of him and France a few decades ago. France had a happy look on his face as he embraced Canada, whose violet eyes gazed back at the camera mirroring the same happiness France had.

Touched, he turned over another picture frame to glance at it. It was a picture of Canada, smiling shyly. He didn't remember when it was taken but that didn't matter. Maybe he wasn't completely forgotten at all.

"What's that you got there, Canada?" England asked, coming up from behind to look over his shoulder.

"Ah, just some pictures." Canada said quietly. He propped them up along with the other broken ones of France and some women he didn't recognize. England watched as Canada fixed them neatly across the shelf of the bookcase.

"Where are you two?" Vietnam's voice called from the foyer.

"Ah, in here!" England called back.

Seconds later, Vietnam entered the living room. She threw a look around the room, suddenly tense. "I found something that might lead us to France." she said quickly. "Here, follow me." Vietnam hastily left the living room, leaving England to exchange a look with Canada.

The two were led to the second floor. The mess up there seemed even worse. All sorts of paintings had fallen and were slashed. England fingered a long narrow cut in a worn canvas and sincerely hoped that it wasn't the real deal and was instead a copy or fake. "Knowing France it probably isn't." he murmured to himself. "What a waste of art."

Canada stared at the torn wallpaper and then at the ripped up carpets. A few of the rails on the stairwell were broken and hacked away. He looked closer and saw that they weren't cut at all, but the edges were ragged as if a strong force broke through them as if they were toothpicks and not three inch thick pieces of polished wood.

"Look." Vietnam knelt down and pointed to a stain on the carpet. England and Canada crouched down and peered at the stain. "It's blood," Vietnam murmured. "And it left a small trail. I tracked it to here but I lost it."

She stood back up and pointed to a tiny line of blood a few feet away. England went to it and studied it intensely like Sherlock Holmes would. He felt like a detective, and now that he thought about it, it was like doing detective work. If only he had thought to bring a magnifying glass.

"No sign, is there?" Vietnam asked quietly.

England inspected the stain for a little while longer before shaking his head. "None at all. Why don't we split up and look for him? I can check this floor, Vietnam, you can search on the third floor, Canada, the ground floor-"

"Um..." Canada pursed his lips nervously.

"What is it?" England asked.

"Splitting up isn't the best idea, I don't think." he said, reddening. "What if something happens to one of us and no one else can hear the other in trouble. Then what would happen?"

England frowned. "Have you been watching horror movies with America or what? I doubt anything around here is too dangerous for any of us to handle. Canada, I know you have some strength so believe in yourself why don't you? Come on, let's go find the bloody bastard and get out of here."

Vietnam passed them without a word to go to the third and topmost floor and England backtracked to the very first door of the floor. Canada hesitated, but after the two were gone from his sight, he sighed and made his way back down, regretting watching all of those horror movies with his brother America.

* * *

><p>England scowled, jostling the doorknob with such force that the door rattled. Despite that, the door refused to open for him and he had to step back and kick it down. At least kicking the door down did some good for him; it allowed him to vent out his anger without getting in trouble. If anyone complained he could use the 'I was looking for an important person and a silly door can't get in my way' excuse. Although it might not be credible enough if people knew his relationship with France; it was laughable that England would admit that France was an important country.<p>

His kick sent the door flying back and the metal hinges even came off the door frame. Entering the room, England switched the lights on, his gun out and ready in case if anything jumped out. His heart leapt as the curtains at the window fluttered and he aimed his gun in that general direction. Slowly, he stepped to the window and flung the curtains back. "Got you, you little-" he started, but he faltered, seeing that he was catching the air conditioner red handed.

"Damnit." England cursed under his breath, sending watchful glances in the shadows of the room.

Deeming the room safe, England left the room and went to the next.

Meanwhile, Vietnam turned a doorknob on the third floor. Unlike the second floor's stubborn relation with England, the third floor took a liking to her and the door allowed her in. With a finger resting upon the trigger, Vietnam opened the door a crack, listening for any sudden movements. When she heard nothing, she dared to open the door a little wider, automatically aiming her gun around the room, sweeping it with her watchful eyes.

Nothing moved in the bathroom. A fresh scent of lilacs caused Vietnam to wrinkle her nose at the overload of the floral aroma. Turning the lights on, she threw back the shower curtains to discover she was empty handed. As a precaution, she also checked underneath the sinks and in the cabinets. Finding nothing, she left the bathroom.

In turn she opened each room on the third floor, looking for any places that would make good hiding spots. There were several bedrooms on the third floor and she always searched in the closets, in the beds, and under the beds. She would check the bathrooms inside the rooms if there was one and she was once suspicious of a wardrobe in one of the rooms and flung the doors open to reveal empty clothes hangers.

There was a library on the third floor and she strolled through the aisles, peering around every corner she came across.

She finished her search on the third floor, sighing. "Come to think of it there aren't any signs of struggle up here." she muttered, making her way back downstairs.

On the way down she ran into England kicking the door out of frustration. He scowled, "Isn't there a door here that isn't locked?"

Vietnam couldn't help but scan the other doors, all of them kicked off their hinges. "Are all the doors locked here?" she asked weakly, wondering what France could possibly hide in the rooms.

England proceeded to kick yet another door down. As the door tumbled over, he said, "All of them are locked. Can you believe my luck?"

Vietnam curiously turned to the door behind her and tried it. It opened easily and swung open. England stared at her. "The bloody hell..."

Though she rarely ever showed a genuine smile, Vietnam couldn't help but smile gently at him. "Maybe I'm lucky." she mused.

England had never seen her smile before; it was unexpected. Unsure of how to answer, he nodded and entered the room whose door he had kicked down. As always, there was nothing in particular that would lead them to France.

"Well he has to be somewhere around here." England sighed wearily. "The stains indicate that he was going in that direction. He can't possibly be downstairs, could he?"

Vietnam folded her arms, throwing a look downstairs. "Anything can happen. Let's go check on Canada then."

England blinked. Vietnam gave him a weary look. "You forgot, haven't you?"

England coughed. "Perhaps for a brief momen-" He pulled away from Vietnam who lightly karate chopped his head, giving him a fierce look of indifference.

"Come on then, let's go." she chided, descending the stairs. England followed her and they both stepped into the kitchen where they heard Canada talking to himself.

"This doesn't fit...maybe the bleeding stopped or something..." he was saying under his breath, looking back and forth from different places on the tile ground.

Canada crouched down and stayed there for a while. England cleared his throat and Canada jumped violently. "Ah, England! Vietnam! You scared me..." Canada breathed. Standing up, he stepped aside for them to take a look at what he was looking at. "Do you think this is vital information?" he asked them.

"More blood..." Vietnam murmured. "But it's just one big puddle with no trail. Where did it lead to? Where did it come from? Did someone have a fight here and somehow blood just-" She stopped and drew her gun at once in sync with England and Canada, turning to aim at-

Dark France.

* * *

><p><em>In September of 1940, Vichy Indochina (Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia under French rule) allowed Japanese soldiers to be station in present-day Vietnam. Fighting broke out soon and the French started to retreat southwards. Due to the Germans invading Russia (the Soviet Union), they needed the Japanese to help them with the invasion but the Japanese were hesitant at first. Nazi Germany forced the French Vichy to allow Japan to station troops, build bases and forts, and have their own police system in Vietnam. They also got to have as much of Vietnam's rice, rubber, and minerals as they wanted and that encouraged them to declare war on Russia (the Soviet Union).<em>

_ Technically, France 'signed' Vietnam off to Japan. In real life, I'm 100% sure they didn't do all of this in a few minutes in France's living room, but the background story for this chapter about Vietnam's discomfort in France's living room was that it was in there that she found out she was stripped her her rights and 'sold' to her brother Japan. I don't know about you but I'd be pretty upset and that room would have brought me bad memories._


	11. Two Unexpected Encounters

In the cities of Germany, everything was quiet except for the occasional marching of German soldiers still on the look out for Dark Germany. Germany made sure to have some of them by their side before heading out; humans could actually be very powerful, not only the country.

In total, there was Germany, Cameroon, Sweden, Switzerland, five other Germans, and two dogs (obviously German Shepherds). The dogs sniffed around their feet, their tails wagging. Sometimes they'd tug towards a different direction when something moved; all movements the dogs picked up were only small things the wind blew around or birds hopping from one place to another.

Germany looked around the street, seeing deserted cars with their doors still open. Many windows were cracked and broken along the shops; the doors of the shops were left opened. He could imagine his people fleeing from a darker version of himself. He felt sick to the stomach and vowed that after the doppelgangers were taken care of he'd spend all of his time comforting his people and getting the country back on track.

"Say, Germany." Cameroon said, breaking the silence. "Do you mind telling us your history? If we get a good idea of your past, maybe we can estimate how much 'hatred' Dark Germany still harbors."

Germany stared at Cameroon. He knew he had a long bloody past, especially in the 20th century, and he didn't feel like talking about them (for two main reasons: one was that it was pretty bad and two was that he had been defeated so many times). However, Cameroon had a good point; going back through history would give them a good idea of Dark Germany's power.

"Well, when I was little and Germania and the Roman Empire was gone, the Franks- one of the Germanic tribes- took over the other West Germanic tribes. That probably doesn't have anything to do with anything but a little background information can't hurt." Germany said slowly, reminiscing back to his early years.

"One of my first wars was the Thirty Years' War. Ah, Sweden, do you remember that?" Germany asked the Swedish man.

Sweden merely nodded and didn't say another word.

Germany cleared his throat as they turned a corner. "Well then, the was was a conflict between the Protestants and the Roman Catholics. Most of the battles took place on my territory and in Holy Roman Empire's territory. Holy Rome was a German empire, did you know? I think Italy mentioned that he looked a little like me..." Germany frowned. Italy had mentioned a lot of things about Holy Rome and even though Germany wasn't usually listening to him ramble he had heard something about Italy still waiting for him to return. Germany never had the heart to tell Italy what happened and kept his mouth shut.

"Anyway, I was with Holy Rome when the war broke out. We had fought Sweden, France...let's see here...Denmark-Norway when the two were under Denmark's rule, England and his older brother Scotland...there was Romania who was Transylvania before and the Ottoman Empire who is now considered Turkey..."

Switzerland sighed. "That's quite a bit of people already Germany."

Germany held a finger up. "But Denmark-Norway switched sides and joined in 1643-"

"Wait, hold on, 1643?" Cameroon repeated. "But you're not that young, are you?"

Germany coughed. "Well, I was technically raised under Germania and stayed with Holy Rome for a long time. Where was I? Oh, the Thirty Years' War. Well, I can't remember who won that one. I think it was unclear but two treaties were signed afterward.

"Nothing much happened for a while. There was the German Revolution but I don't remember hating any country during that time. Then-"

"World War I, right?" Switzerland muttered.

Germany nodded bitterly. "Against France, England, and Russia. They were the main three but America joined, Romania came along and so did Japan, Belgium, Greece, and many others. Italy even fought for them." He remembered finding Italy in a crate of tomatoes and how everything went weirdly for him after the first World War.

"A lost for you, wasn't it? The Treaty of Versailles was signed on the 28th of June in 1919." Cameroon said, raising an eyebrow.

"You know?"

"I have some spare time."

Apparently Germany had a lot to worry about when World War II came along. If he counted every country that was an part of the Allies, he had roughly three fourths of the world against him (or something like that).

The realization sent Germany to a corner of woe and he refused to continue the search until Switzerland shot his gun into the air, snatching Germany back into the world of reality instead of the distant past.

"There's no time to worry about the past." Switzerland growled.

"But uh, isn't the past what drives the doppel-" Cameroon started to say but Switzerland gave him a look and cut him off.

"If you want to spend time and mope then fine with me. We, on the other hand, are going to hunt down Dark Germany and capture him." Switzerland scowled. "Come on, everyone." He started to lead the way, and the others followed him slowly, glancing back at Germany.

Of course, Switzerland had a point and Germany took Switzerland's place as leader by fast walking to the front. Switzerland nodded his approval and backed down, content that Germany was back to normal.

They didn't get very far; they managed to reach a small park when Sweden stopped and turned. Cameroon glanced back at the tall man and asked, "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Sweden looked back at him and nodded.

Germany halted the group and scanned the park. There was a stray bicycle on the ground a couple of yards away. A few lone frisbees laid under neath the shadows of the trees lined up by the sidewalk wrapped around the park. A few birds were picking a brown paper bag, probably filled with bird seeds. Other than the birds, there was no other movement in the park.

"There is nothing..." Switzerland muttered, but he held his shotgun up as a precaution. "What say you Germany?"

Germany waited for another minute. His men were on alert and the dogs sniffed the ground suspiciously, growling. "Is there something here?" he asked one of his men.

Before the man could answer, the dogs barked at once and pulled behind them, baring their teeth and scowling. Switzerland aimed his shotgun towards the general direction as Germany drew his gun. A man walked to them, calmly and collected. He stopped to look at them. He was too far away to immediately recognize him but he was close enough to tell some details about the man. He had light brown hair and a regular practical build. Something about him seemed familiar but it wasn't until he came closer that Germany was able to tell who it was.

"Italy!" he shouted. Italy neared and the way he walked made Germany 100% sure it wasn't really Italy, but rather Dark Italy.

"Your reactions..." Dark Italy said calmly. He chuckled, stopping just ten feet away from them. The dogs growled and pawed at the ground, wanting to pounce. Germany's men looked at him to see if it was okay to release the dogs but Germany held a hand up, still glaring at Italy's doppelganger.

"What about our reactions?" Germany growled.

Dark Italy seemed content. "It looks like you aren't surprised. You've met a few of us, haven't you?"

"Germany," Cameroon whispered harshly. "Estonia said to put a tracker on any doppelganger we find."

"I know," Germany said in a low voice. To Dark Italy, he barked, "What do you want?"

Dark Italy didn't say anything. He slowly reached into his pocket, smiling when everyone tensed. Switzerland aimed directly at Dark Italy, anticipating him drawing a gun. Germany sensed this as well and signaled his soldiers. They released the vicious dogs and they lunged towards Dark Italy. At once, North Italy drew his gun so quickly that even Germany didn't see it at first. Two shots rang out so quickly and sudden yelps startled Germany. But they weren't from the countries or his men; the dogs had been shot and they fell only three feet away from them. The dogs didn't get a chance to actually run; they had lunged into the air and shot while they were coming down.

Dark Italy gave Germany and the others a smile. "What else can I want?"

Switzerland gritted his teeth as Dark Italy advanced slowly, strolling on the path as if nothing happened. His finger rested on the trigger; normally he would have already shot him but Germany was in charge. Honestly, he thought Germany was taking a little too long; if Dark Italy got any closer, they'd be in trouble.

Germany would have normally told Switzerland to shoot already but Dark Italy looked exactly like Italy, save for the red eyes. For some reason, he just couldn't stand seeing anyone that looked like Italy be shot.

But before Dark Italy could get too close Switzerland shouted at Germany but Germany didn't make any of the words. He only heard the urgency in his voice and he found himself shooting at Dark Italy instead, fully realizing that Dark Italy was not Italy at all.

Dark Italy's shoulder flew back and he stopped walking. Blood flew backwards where the bullet hit. However, Dark Italy had not fallen. He adjusted his posture, the wound suddenly gone. The blood that had splattered on the ground behind Dark Italy was still there, stained on the pavement. But the wound and blood on Dark Italy himself was gone. He snickered. "Haven't you learned your lesson? I heard from Denmark's hate that you countries have attacked him and then fled."

Switzerland shot at Dark Italy and Dark Italy stopped talking as Switzerland's bullet pieced through Dark Italy's forehead. Dark Italy stared at Switzerland as the hole in his head started to stitch itself back together, the skin folding back up and connecting by itself. It was gruesome to watch; the blood that stained his skin and hair seeped back in before the skin sealed.

"Oh? Surprised? I thought that after fighting Denmark's hatred you'd know we can do that." Dark Italy smirked. "Oh wait, don't you call us 'doppelgangers'? You also but the word 'dark' in front of our names...Fitting, yes?"

"And how do you know that?" Germany demanded.

"Oh I told them. I hope you're not mad." a voice said from the other direction.

Germany spun around, bewildered. "Dark Canada!"


	12. The Frenchman's Fury

Dark France glanced at the three guns being pointed at him. Then his dark red eyes flickered up at the wielders. A small smile tugged at his lips. "How interesting." he mused. "To think that you three would come find me is very interesting indeed." England glared at him, Vietnam rested her finger on the trigger, and Canada tensed, waiting.

"We're not here for you." England said sharply. "Where's the real France?"

Dark France laughed. "I'm not good enough for you? Mon ami, I _am_ a part of the 'real' France. You are très rude." He took a step forward but stopped when Vietnam started to flex her trigger finger.

Vietnam scowled at Dark France. "Don't try to stall. Where is he?"

Dark France blinked. "Are you still interested in _that_ fool? Ma fleur, why are you determined to find the very man that invaded you and kept you under his rule for nearly a hundred years? And you, England, have been fighting with him for over a hundred years. Haven't you _lost_ that war as well?" Dark France asked coolly. He seemed to enjoy seeing England and Vietnam fume.

And then he acknowledged Canada, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Canada, I've raised you when you were little." he cooed. "And yet you point a gun at moi. Where are your manners?"

Canada pursed his lips. "You didn't raise me." he said quietly. "France raised me."

Dark France spat. "Am I not him?"

"N-no…."

Dark France glared at Canada but then he smiled. Something about his smile made England uncomfortable. But then again, any smile France wore could be interpreted as a mischievous smile, one that told everyone that he was up to now good yet again. The same thing could be applied to Dark France; the way his eyes bored into them and the almost arrogant poise he held himself with seemed to warn the three that something was going to happen.

"Why, Canada…." Dark France whispered. Though it was barely audible it still sent shudders down their spines. "You are hurting me….my poor little heart cannot _bear_ to hear such words from you." Dark France moved quickly that their guns couldn't keep up with him. He was a blur but they managed to anticipate where he ended up.

England cursed and Vietnam narrowed her eyes. Dark France held a gun to Canada's head, giving England and Vietnam a sly look. "Oh, this is just too fun. Ah, but you three aren't interesting opponents like you used to be…I'm very disappoint-"

A loud bang shot from England's gun and a fountain of red spurted out from Dark France's neck. Vietnam barked at England. "You could have hit Canada!"

"It's worth a shot." England growled, reloading. Canada quickly got out of Dark France's range, whipping his gun around to aim at the head.

Dark France's wound in his neck started to heal by itself. Within seconds the wound was gone and clean. He glared at England. "You bastard!"

At once Dark France lunged for England, genuine hate showing in his eyes. He passed Vietnam and threw a punch at England, catching him in the chest. The two toppled to the ground. England had a hard time breathing due to the sudden impact in his chest. But that was the last thing that was on his mind. The first thing was to get the furious French man off of him.

England had received another blow to the nose before Vietnam stepped in and shot Dark France three times in the back. The bullets were enough to get him off of England but it didn't prevent him from shooting England in the arm. England backed away from Dark France and Vietnam; Vietnam yanked him away and threw him to the ground.

England took in a sharp intake of air at the stinging pain in his arm and the blunt throbbing pain in his nose. He felt his blood run down his chin. Blood ran down his arm, soaking his sleeve. England felt Canada rush to his side and started to tend to the wounds while Vietnam took a shot at Dark France. The force of her bullets prevented France from advancing. By the time she had to change the magazine, Dark France was healed and now targeting her.

She didn't have the time to aim and shoot; instead she dove to the side before a volley of bullets could hit her. Vietnam gasped as two bullets caught her right ankle. Landing on the floor on her side, she brought up her gun and shot sideways at Dark France, piercing Dark France's flesh. But the bullets only slowed him down. Dark France raised his gun arm and shot at Vietnam's hand, knocking out her own gun. She winced as blood spewed from her hand.

"Ma fleur, you've really saddened me. You've never really liked being under my control, did you?" Dark France scowled. "You had potential but then that Japan came along." His eyes darkened. "And he took you from me-"

"You both controlled me at the same time," Vietnam spat. She grimaced and made a reach for her gun but Dark France shot at the gun and the blast made it fly away, spinning from her range.

Dark France spun around at once after the gun flew and reached out to grab a hold of Canada's collar. The barrel rested on Canada's forehead. "Don't think you can secretly attack." Dark France murmured. He gave England and Vietnam a deep look of distaste. "Pathetic. Referring to guns aren't you? Is this really all you've got?"

England scowled. Canada had hastily washed the blood from his face. Although he thought his nose felt somewhat crooked and it still throbbed horribly, it was the least of his worries. He would have shot at Dark France but they would be wasting ammo. Instead, he started to wonder what could really weaken Dark France and capture him.

Vietnam grimaced as she pulled herself up to a sitting position. She started to stand but leaned on the wall when she felt her knees giving way. After looking at England, she realized that he was deep in thought and decided to keep Dark France's attention on her and Canada.

But right now, Canada was in danger. Scowling, Vietnam groped the counter beside her, her fingers fitting around the handle of a frying pan. "France, oi!" she called, hurling the pan with all her might.

Dark France's eyes widened in surprise but he took a hold of Canada and side stepped the pan. It flew by, narrowly missing them by centimeters. Dark France gave Vietnam a look but she was gone. She left a trail of dripping blood in her stead.

England stared at the trail of blood and then at Dark France, Dark France was staring after her, looking back from the trail to Canada. This was his chance. As quietly as possible, he reached up to grip the edge of the counter and hoisted himself up. His legs still worked fine, although they were bruised. He felt guilty for leaving Canada so before he left the kitchen, he lifted his good arm, aimed, and shot Dark France in the head. Right after Dark France's head jerked forward, England spun and ran, planning to go to the third floor.

Canada jumped as Dark France stumbled forward at the sound of a gunshot. It didn't take him a full second to realize that England was gone and that Dark France was shot. Despite it being against his moral code, he swung his leg around and kicked at Dark France. He was relatively relieved that Dark France did not see that attack coming and took the brief diversion to flee. He was more concerned about Vietnam because he had seen her got shot at her ankle twice. She probably couldn't have made it far.

England, on the other hand, had a feeling that Dark France would be after him first. He thought back through his past and his stomach sank. As he thundered up the stairs, he remembered the Hundred Years' War with France. It had been a total ego buster when he had lost to him.

England rounded the corner and barged into a random room. Luckily for him, it wasn't locked like all the other doors. He kicked the door shut and locked it, sliding to the ground with his back against the door. Panting, he considered the odds. Dark France could always trail Vietnam; she had left a trail. He wasn't sure why Vietnam would do that but decided not to think about it yet. Dark France could guess which direction he went but won't be able to really find him.

Then there was Canada. Dark France was very fast and he could have already caught Canada. England banged his fist onto the floor as gently, not wanting to make a loud sound.

"Let me think…" he muttered. "How can we weaken Dark France so we can bring him back to Germany's? Damn…"

He raised his head at a thundering sound from below. It was as if someone knocked over a dresser or something. Nothing else came after the sudden noise but he didn't dare relax.

"Doppelgangers are parts of the original. They must have similar likes and dislikes then, right?" England reasoned. "Aside from the extra hate, they're like the original, right? What does France not like? Ah!" England straightened. "My cooking! That bloody bastard doesn't like my cooking but this time I'm not moping. This can save u-" He stopped. Sneering to himself, he muttered, "But why on earth would Dark France accept my offer of food? Idiot…."

He stopped again and listened as footsteps ran past his room. The footsteps ceased but another pair hastily followed. England heard Dark France calling out in French, and he started to wonder who he was calling after.

"Fast footsteps…most likely Canada." England said to himself.

After a minute of complete silence, he got up and went to a vanity on the other side of the room. He examined his appearance. His nose wasn't too bad but his skin was still stained with his blood. The front of his uniform was soaked and so was his sleeve where the bullet entered. He looked weary and worn. "And this is only the fourth day." he sighed.

He gave a few extra minutes into thinking up a way to stop Dark France. He never got an idea in time; the doorknob rattled and he tensed, reaching for his gun. The door flew forward towards him and he shot at once. A feminine gasp chilled his blood. "Vietnam," he exclaimed, rushing forward.

Vietnam winced, clutching her side. "I should have known…." she breathed, leaning on the doorway. Her appearance was worse than England's. Her hair was no longer tied up and there was a deep gash across her cheek and wrist. "Isn't Canada with you?" she added hurriedly in a single breath.

"No he isn't." England said. He helped her sit down. "I'm truly sorry, I didn't think-"

"It's fine." She said bluntly.

"It's not."

"It is with me now please be quiet or we'd risk Dark France finding us." Vietnam pursed her lips and scanned the hallway. "I've put a tracker on Dark France and contacted Estonia. Estonia, are you still there?"

England watched her. Estonia's voice could be heard from her earpiece but barely. Vietnam gave a small sigh. "He's right below us then because he's not on this floor." she murmured.

"_Not exactly, ma fleur_."

England and Vietnam glanced up at Dark France towering above them with Canada slung over his shoulder. Dark France looked down upon them with the same red eyes. England heard Vietnam stifle a gasp when they both saw a long knife sticking out of Canada's back.

* * *

><p><em>The Hundred Years' War was fought between France and England from 1337 to 1453. They were fighting for the control of the French Throne (apparently England wanted to invade France's vital regions!). The war is separated into three or four main phases: the Edwardian War (1337-1360), the Caroline War (1369-1389), the Lancastrian War (1415-1453), and then Joan of Arc made a very important contribution and is considered to be the 'fourth phase' from 1412-1431. The Hundred Years' War wasn't exactly one hundred years long in case if you haven't noticed.<em>

_ During World War II (1939-1945) France had control of Indochina (which included Vietnam). The Japanese Army invaded in the early 1940s. French troops fought the Japanese troops because they were enemies in the war and they were fighting for control of Indochina. Japan had eventually controlled Vietnam alongside France, though it was very tense. Both fought for the affection of the Vietnamese people, hoping to have Vietnam's troops support them. _

_ Most of the Vietnamese sided with the Japanese and kicked France out; France had tried many times to get Vietnam back, even after World War II._

_ In 1534, Jacques Cartier claimed land for the king of France in the Gaspé Peninsula; this became the first province of Canada. French traders then began to sail back and forth for fur which was becoming rare in Europe. France then wanted to colonize the territory and expand. This was the beginning of Canada._

_ After the French and Indian War/ Seven Years War (1754-1763), France lost Canada to England's control._


	13. Realization

America wasn't going to lie to himself; he was downright scared. He had spent the last few days thinking about his history and wondered if he truly was that troublesome. At first, when he thought about the Revolutionary War, he had contorted his face at the memory. Then there was the War of 1812; again, he contorted his face. Then came the others wars and scuffles. The Civil War against his brother, the Confederation of America. He didn't even dare think about World War I or World War II. The Korean War and the Vietnam War was also on his list of memories not to think back to.

"America, are you okay? You look sick..." Australia said from the driver's seat of the car.

America glanced at him before breaking into a big grin. "Ha! You kidding me? I'm great! Um, quick question..." He glanced around in the car, peering out the window curiously. "Where are we?"

America, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, and Romano were crammed into one car rolling along streets of a city. The city was deserted like a ghost town. America could have sworn he saw a tumbleweed skip right in front of them.

"We're near Estonia's house right now actually." New Zealand said, pressing his hand against the window.

America's stomach growled. America turned in his seat and gave New Zealand a bright smile. "Ooh! Let's stop by there then! I'm hungry! Maybe he has burgers there!"

Australia gave America a weird look. "Ah, I don't think he would appreciate us entering his house for burgers, mate."

America scoffed and waved Australia's comment away. "I bet you anything he won't mind. Let's go!"

Australia cocked his head at America and then at the other nations in the back seat. Spain only smiled at Australia and laughed. "I don't really mind, but don't you think we should ask for permission?"

Romano scoffed at Spain, leaning back in his seat. "Permission is for losers. Let's just go stop by and get something to eat. I'm hungry too."

Spain raised an eyebrow at Romano. "You just love to crash at other people's places, don't you?"

Australia turned the corner and slowed down when they got to Estonia's house. Then he stepped on the brakes and the car stopped with a small reluctant halt. "I agree with Spain. We should ask Est-"

America was gone from his seat in two seconds flat. Instead of sitting by him in the passenger seat, America bounded towards the front door and flung it open. If the door was locked, it didn't seem like it. Followed closely by Romano, America started to look for the kitchen.

"Estonia has a very clean house." America mused. He glanced into the living room but stopped, performing a quick double take. "Oh? What's this?"

Romano passed America and found the kitchen. "Oi, America. The kitchen is this way." he muttered.

Australia peered through the front door. "Wouldn't it be easier if we just order take-out?"

America didn't answer. He stared at the wall, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Australia joined his side, saying, "What's the matter? What are you looking at?"

America walked over to the wall and crouched down, fingering deep hatches that were etched onto the wall. "How did this get here?" he murmured.

Spain and Romano entered the living room, wondering what America was up to. "Hey, America, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." Spain said. Spain was right; America had paled considerably.

"Dude, come check this out." America said hoarsely. At once Spain, Romano, Australia, and New Zealand rushed over and leaned in to get a closer look. "This is exactly like a horror movie!" America added, suppressing a shudder.

"What does it say?" New Zealand asked, coming up from behind America last.

Australia knelt down behind America and read over America's shaking shoulder (America was hugging his knees together, whining that he didn't want to be in a horror movie). "He is...what's that word right there?"

Spain frowned. "That one?" He pointed.

"Idiots," Romano scowled. "It says 'fake'. How lame of you guys. You can't even read!"

Spain held his breath. "Romano...listen to what you just said."

Romano scoffed. "Yeah, what about...it...The_ fu_-"

Spain clapped a hand over Romano's mouth to prevent the word to slip.

"He is a fake..._he is a fake._" Australia repeated with emphasis. "You don't think-"

"That's totally what I'm thinking..." America muttered.

* * *

><p>Dark Canada eyed Germany for a while and then said, "You seem surprised. How foolish; did you think that the prison would really keep me there?"<p>

"How did you-" Germany started to demand.

Dark Canada held a hand up. "Have you forgotten that we can bring hate out in others? It was quite obvious, I'm utterly shocked that you've forgotten." After seeing the unchanging expressions, Dark Canada cracked his knuckles and reached to the side to wrap his fingers around a metal sign post. He flicked his wrist up and the post snapped as easily as one would break off a piece of a pretzel. "The bars were pretty good though." Dark Canada continued, tossing the broken sign away. "That is, for normal people."

"But how did you find us?" Cameroon asked.

Dark Canada gave Dark Italy an amused look. Dark Italy started to laugh; his laugh was very different from Italy's. Technically they were identical but knowing it was not Italy's laugh, something about it made it very strange. "Ve...you haven't realize it, have you?" Dark Italy taunted.

It was also very disturbing to hear Dark Italy use 've', which was something only Italy used. Despite the fact Dark Italy was part of Italy (which Germany still refused to believe) it seemed wrong to hear anyone other than Italy use 've'.

"Realize what?" Switzerland growled.

Dark Canada started to circle around them and even though Germany aimed his gun at him, Dark Canada didn't even show any sing of worry or acknowledgment that he was being held at gun point. Switzerland, on the other hand, threatened Dark Italy, but even Italy's doppelganger didn't do anything but watch as Dark Canada started to talk again.

"Have you ever wondered how you always seem to run into us?" Dark Canada asked.

"Is there even a need to?" Switzerland growled but Germany eyed Dark Canada carefully.

"Have you even considered the fact that we're just as organized as you?" Dark Canada continued. "Or have you even thought about the fact that we could be one step ahead of the game?" He was silent for a while, letting his words sink in. Germany made sure to have his face stoic and stony without any sign of weakness at all.

Dark Canada had orbited around them up until he reached the bodies of the dogs. He nudged them a little, causing excess blood to flow out. "You know something?" he asked casually, as if he was oblivious to the serious situation. "I wouldn't be too surprised if you find out soon. In fact, you _did_ leave him in charge, didn't you?"

Germany narrowed his eyes. By the way they were talking, it was as if they hinted that they had sources. "Leave him in charge, you say?" Germany murmured.

Dark Canada glanced up from the dog corpses and flashed him a grin. "Ah, so you've figured it out?"

A shot rang out and Dark Canada took a step back at the force of Germany's bullet. "Now is that the truth or what?" Germany yelled.

Dark Italy laughed as Dark Canada casually brushed imaginary dirt from his chest. "Ve, Germany, don't you know that we can't feel pain?"

"That's right." Dark Canada confirmed. He adjusted his glasses. "We're only physical forms of hatred..." A smirk played onto his lips. "What an advantage we have, don't we now?"

"Is it the truth or what?" Cameroon asked in a threatening tone, reaching for his own gun. Even though the doppelgangers could not feel pain, it made him feel safer with a gun in hand. Besides, a shot could be the one diversion they might need.

Dark Italy cocked his head and gave him a sly sideways glance. "Why don't you go and see for yourself? Canada..._Dark _Canada I mean..." Dark Italy threw another smirk their way. "Let's go."

Germany and his men gritted their teeth. Cameroon stared at them with shock. Switzerland and Sweden glared at their backs. "That's it? You're letting us go?" Germany yelled. "What kind of doppelgangers are you?"

"Don't encourage them," Cameroon said with a warning tone. "Giving them ideas isn't going to help at all."

Dark Italy and Dark Canada slowed their pace and glanced back at Germany. "There isn't any point hanging back here," Dark Italy said in a drawling voice. "You are so boring."

Dark Canada nodded. "Besides, if we killed you then we lose someone very strong...Germany, I assume you know who I am talking about."

Germany deepened his scowl.

Dark Italy continued walking. "Ve, Dark Canada, you're right. We're one step ahead of the game."

Dark Canada scoffed, catching up with Italy's doppelganger. "Don't praise them; they weren't even players."


	14. Escaping the Ropes and Returning to HQ

Dark France leaned against the door frame, a hand resting on his hip. "Well, well, well...thought you could escape, didn't you?"

England never thought that he could hate France any more than he had, but he saw that he had plenty of room left for his hatred.

Dark France was gleeful at England's expression. "Ahh, what treat! So much loathing and anger, non?"

Vietnam hissed at England. "Don't get too angry! That's his goal. The more anger you have the stronger your doppelganger becomes."

"Where is he then?" England asked roughly. "Where's Dark England?"

Dark France clicked his tongue. "You sadden me too. I'm still not enough for you?"

England responded by reaching into one of his pockets and drew an army knife, making a stab for Dark France's leg. However, he didn't make it that far. Dark France kicked the knife out of his hand. Dark France's kick was excruciating; England grounded his teeth to prevent from uttering in pain. He thought that Dark France broke every single bone in his hand. "Damn you." England spat.

England's knife somehow got lodged into the ceiling; there was no use trying to get it down now. They were left weaponless.

Dark France set Canada down on the ground and reached down to pull Vietnam up by her collar. She cried out in pain, gripping at Dark France's hand. Dark France studied her face for a while. "You gave me a lot of trouble." he whispered dangerously.

Dark France lifted Vietnam up higher with a single arm. She dangled four feet off the ground by her collar. As Vietnam gasped for air, tugging at his hands, Dark France scoffed, "It's about time I let out all of the feelings I had stored during those years. Remember them, ma fleur? Those years were very-_very_-red."

England couldn't just sit there; he had already put Canada in danger and it made him feel a hundred times worse to see what fate had done to him. If anything, he couldn't let fate do the same thing again to his other comrade. While Dark France was taunting Vietnam, England slowly reached out for the only weapon available; the long knife protruding from Canada's back.

He couldn't imagine the pain Canada would have felt when he tugged at the knife. It took a while because he felt the last of his consciousness seep away. _Perhaps...perhaps I have time to rest..._ England thought feebly, his fingers hesitating to work. He narrowed his eyes and thought fiercely, _No, I can't now. Just a little more..._

Somehow, the knife was free. Before he was swept away by the incoming darkness and fatigue, England gripped the handle of the knife and glanced up at Dark France and Vietnam. Vietnam was no longer moving. Dark France had started to jeer at her.

A final rush of energy provided him the speed to stab the long knife into Dark France's foot. The sudden attack caused him to flinch, releasing Vietnam. England finally cried out in pain as she collapsed on his legs. The pain must have been too much for him to handle at the moment because the darkness took over and refused to let him take back control.

* * *

><p>England woke up at the sound of someone whispering his name. At first, he tried to move his head but it failed. His head just felt too heavy. "What?" he croaked in annoyance.<p>

The whispering ceased for a while, but then it continued harshly. "Keep it down, do you want him to come back here?" Vietnam whispered.

England blinked in confusion. It took him several seconds to remember what had last happened. "The bloody hell..." He strained his muscles only to find that he was completely tied up. Tightly too. "I can't bloody breathe." he coughed.

Vietnam was on his left, lying on the ground just like he was. Canada was on the right and to England's relief, he was awake. "Canada, how-?"

"Canada sweet talked him." Vietnam said gently. "I'm not sure how it works, but Dark France treated his wounds. He's healing nicely."

"You _sweet talked_ him?" England asked incredulously.

Canada gave him a tentative smile. "Aha, well, I don't mean to offend but out of us three, I think he didn't...hate me as much...I told him that I always looked up to him as an older brother. I'm sorry."

"For what?" England asked. "This is brilliant. Canada, you genius! We're not goners at all! Bloody brilliant..."

"I'm not sure if you noticed," Vietnam said with a sigh. "But we're tied up. We _will_ be goners if we don't get out of here on time."

"Why? What do you mean _on _time?" Canada asked her.

Vietnam's eyes darkened and she closed them for a while. "I overheard Dark France talking to someone. I don't know who but someone else is here." She grimaced and cleared her throat.

"Please take it easy Vietnam." Canada said worriedly.

Normally, she would have waved his concern away and say something about not to worry but instead, she nodded and took five long seconds to recover. "Dark France...he said that he'd transfer us to the Guangzhou hideout. The other person...the other person said that the Guangzhou hideout is where the others are going too."

"Wait, who are the others?" England asked.

Vietnam gave him a weary look. "I do not know."

Canada squirmed. "Um, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that getting transferred isn't good."

"Nothing is good about this situation we're in." England said pointedly. "Can anyone get free? Any loose knots or something?"

Both England and Canada slowly wriggled, mindful of their injuries. England gave up after a few minutes of not feeling any loosened cords of rope but Canada continued. When he stopped to rest, Vietnam asked, "Who has the sharpest teeth?"

England turned his head to give her a strange look. "Now why would that be relevant to anything?"

She shushed him. "Trust me. I can't see any other way right now."

Canada ran his tongue over his teeth. "Mine aren't particularly sharp." he said sheepishly.

England stared at him and then at Vietnam who did the same. "Mine are okay. Yours, England?"

"You're not thinking about biting through the ropes, are you?" he asked uncertainly.

"Do you have another plan to escape?"

To be honest, England saw that Vietnam had a point. Unless they wanted to be transferred to some hideaway for whatever reason, they'd have to bite their way free.

"Amazing..." Canada whispered, peering into England's mouth.

"Your teeth are rather sharp, aren't they?" Vietnam mused.

England grumbled, "Be quiet, you. Now what? Do I just gnaw on a piece of rope until it breaks? That could take hours."

"Not unless you start now. Hurry up and try to free Canada. You don't have to chew through them all. Just enough for him to break free."

England still didn't want to be the dog of the three, but he had no choice. He carefully scooted over to Canada and caught a cord of rope with his teeth. He started to grind his teeth in hopes that it would be the most effective way.

Canada was free within an hour. England had successfully broke through four cords of rope, enough for Canada loosen himself and free himself.

"Incredible, England." Vietnam said, smiling.

England's jaw was terribly sore and his teeth felt numb. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but feel rather accomplished. "Well, now I've done everything." he sighed, moving his jaw around to test that it could still move up and down and not side to side like it had been doing for the past sixty minutes.

"Except for defeating the doppelgangers." Vietnam said. "Canada, are you able to free us?"

Canada slowly sat up, wincing at the pain his back gave him. He picked at the knot that fastened the entire thing together. Frowning, he eased his fingers through any openings he found and tugged.

"They're too tight." he murmured, still trying to tug at the ropes.

Vietnam frowned. "Try mine."

Canada eased himself off the floor and knelt down by Vietnam, doing the same to the big fat knot of rope. "With this so tight, are you sure it's not cutting off any blood circulation?" Canada asked timidly, pulling at the cords.

"Not that I know of." she sighed. "But I can barely breathe."

England sighed. "Do you want me to use my teeth again?"

Canada bowed his head. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I don't think I would have been able to untie anyone either." England said, squirming in his little rope cocoon. "Come to think of it, that last we have eaten was back at Germany's, right? I'm famished."

Canada glanced around the room. It was rather dim and somewhat musty. The stone walls reminded him of basements, and that was exactly where they were. "France's kitchen is right next to the basement door." Canada said, pointing to the corner. England could make out a silhouette of a small stairwell. "If I can get us food, we can restore our energy even faster." Canada added.

"But what about Dark France?" Vietnam asked. "And in your condition-"

Canada stood up slowly. "I think I can manage it." he said, biting his lip. "I will be back."

As Canada went to forage for food in France's kitchen, England scooted closer to Vietnam and grabbed a cord of the rope with his teeth, starting the entire process of grinding again.

* * *

><p>"Search the entire house." America called out, standing in the middle of the living room. Spain and Australia bent down and grabbed the end of the couch and heaved it up as New Zealand checked underneath it. "We have to find any traces of Intelligence we can!"<p>

"And what are you doing?" Romano sniffed at America.

America gave him a thumbs up. "I'm managing."

"America, this is important." Australia said seriously. "There's no time to play around."

The five had searched the entire living room (under America's management of course) and found absolutely nothing else. Spain had tried to find where the real Estonia could be but couldn't find any hints or clues. They moved on to the kitchen and America went straight to the fridge.

"Oh so now you're helping?" Romano asked irritably. "If you're going to check the fridge, let me help too."

Australia and Spain exchanged glances weary glances. "I'm not going to bother." Spain sighed, retreating to the corner of the kitchen where a bookcase was wedged in between the end of the counter and the wall.

As Romano crouched down, moving things aside in the refrigerator and America craning his neck while looking for ice cream in the freezer, New Zealand and Australia tackled the cabinets, flinging them open and taking out pots and pans. Spain leisurely picked a random book from the bookshelf, flipped through pages, stop, read, laugh, and continued to read.

"Spain you jerk, stop reading and start looking!" Romano snapped at Spain.

"You know Romano, you're not doing much either..." New Zealand said from the other side of the kitchen, knelt down beside a pile of different sized pans.

"Shut up!" Romano yelled over his shoulder.

Within an hour they had the house searched and yet they couldn't find anything of use. America even found Estonia's computer and tried to hack it. It failed miserably; Dark Estonia must have thought ahead and programed the computer so that it would shut down seconds after turning on. It drove America insane and Australia kindly reminded him that he could not toss the computer out the window.

"Dude, that is totally unfair!" America cried, pointing at the dark screen. "It didn't get a chance to say 'hello' to me!"

"Is that what you're worried about?" New Zealand asked. "Why don't we try to find out who's around here. We can't rely on Dark Estonia anymore."

Spain tapped his chin thoughtfully. "We can always go back and capture him. We can contact Germany from there."

America groaned. "Another hour in the car again? Can we at least stop by for food?"

Australia sighed and agreed. "Yes, yes, we'll stop for food. But only one meal!"


	15. Japan's Rescue

Canada sighed to himself. The sharp stinging pain in his back seemed to have sucked all of his willpower from him. He made it to the top of the small stairwell and into the kitchen but a wave of unease and dizziness made him stop and rest for a while.

After a minute of deep breathing, he continued on, first heading to the refrigerator. He tugged it open just a crack and peered in. One by one, he started to gather any food that didn't require any cooking; there were some that needed to be heated up in a microwave but he didn't even bother with those. He ended up snatching some cheese and fresh fruit. Cheese by itself was okay but cheese with bread was better; Canada decided that a little grain won't hurt.

Slowly, he made his way back down the steps and to England and Vietnam. He cringed as he sat down. It was rather painful, arching his back to sit down. He could have sworn his wound reopened but he felt no new flow of blood running down his back.

Vietnam glanced at Canada when he arrived and said to England, "You can rest. You deserve it."

England groaned as he withdrew. "My poor teeth..." he muttered.

"At least you can use your teeth to eat now." Canada said, plucking the green leafy part of a strawberry. He held it out by England's mouth and England bit into the small fruit, hungrily eating it up.

Canada then offered one to Vietnam but she shook her head. "After England." she said firmly.

England swallowed and retorted, "No you have to eat too. After all, even though I'm tied up and on the filthy floor, I'm still a gentleman."

"It will be faster if you finish eating first and then continue." Vietnam said sternly. "If I eat now it will slow things down."

"I don't eat much."

"Even so."

England gave up and prodded Canada's with his head for more strawberries. Canada felt like he was truly feeding a dog; he held a handful of strawberries out in his hand for England to snatch them up. And then there was the part about his teeth...

After England was done eating, Canada shifted over and started to feed Vietnam with his other hand. She didn't eat much either; a couple of strawberries and some cheese with bread and that was it. When she was done, Canada sat back and started to eat what was left.

There were times where they froze in fear when they thought Dark France was coming. They had heard footsteps near the door and Canada would glance at the gnawed ropes and then he'd turn pale. There were also times where they heard other voices near the door. They still couldn't tell what other doppelganger was present.

By the time Vietnam was able to break out from the ropes, England felt terribly sore. He didn't think he could talk properly. Vietnam, who wasn't as injured as Canada, then tried her strength at the knot that still kept England prisoner and pulled. Nothing.

"Stay here." she said, standing up abruptly after a third attempt.

"Where are you going?" Canada asked her.

"To the kitchen. There's got to be a knife available."

While Canada wondered why he didn't think of that, England contorted his face uneasily. He wasn't exactly content with someone taking a knife and sawing away at the ropes. After the knife incident with Canada, he didn't really want to think about it. When Vietnam slipped back into the basement with the promised knife, he said, "Just don't saw my body into half, you hear?"

Vietnam raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing. The next five minutes were spent with Vietnam cutting through the rope and England wincing every time she successfully cut through; the sudden jump from one cord to the other seemed too fast for him and he feared that by the time she got to the last cord, the knife would cut through the last cord and land into his own flesh.

She stopped sawing at the ropes and started to help Canada to his feet. England glanced down and saw that she left a few uncut. "You can certainly break through those, can't you England?" Vietnam asked, throwing Canada's arm over her shoulder so that he could lean on her for support if anything happened.

England sheepishly wiggled out of the ropes and sat up. He massaged his arms and took long breaths, glad that he could breathe regularly again. "So now what?" he asked, rolling his shoulders backwards.

Vietnam glanced around the basement. "Japan is here, right? Maybe we'll be lucky and run into him. He can shelter us for a little bit. If we don't see him we'll return to Germany's house. We'll continue looking for France later. Do you still have the keys?"

England automatically reached for his pocket. The keys jingled as he patted them. "All set." he said.

Vietnam nodded at him and then she and Canada made their way to the stairs with England leading.

* * *

><p>Cameroon had never seen Germany so flustered. Of course, there were times where Italy would step past the line and get Germany all riled up but all of those times where Germany had been annoyed at Italy couldn't compare to the expression and aura Germany gave off now.<p>

For some odd reason, Cameroon could feel a dark and cold atmosphere every time he neared Germany. "Where are we going now?" Cameroon asked Germany.

"Home." he said at once. "We need to confirm this before we continue our search. Leaving a doppelganger in charge is the very last thing we need."

* * *

><p>Australia cringed. America had started to sing along with the radio and the song was highly pitched. America was okay with songs that weren't so high but Australia swore that the radio played that song just to bug everyone in the car; even Spain had grimaced whenever America attempted to mimic an insanely high note.<p>

Australia glanced in the mirror to look at the nations sitting in the back. They all had different colored ear plugs sticking out from their ears; they were now immune to America's singing.

"Oh ye-ah! Tonight we P-A-A-A-R-R-R-T-T-Y-Y-Y-Y!" America sang, obviously enjoying the song.

Australia flinched but America didn't take notice. If only New Zealand had brought another pair of ear plugs with him.

Thankfully, America took a break after the song was over and took a long sip from his extra large drink they got him. The fast food restaurant was abandoned so they helped themselves. Australia and Spain had to monitor America's 'scavenger hunt'.

"How much longer now?" America asked Australia. The nations behind them tentatively removed their ear plugs (but they kept them just in case the radio started blaring out another high pitched song).

"We're near the border of Poland. Soon we'll be at Germany's."

"So a couple minutes, right?"

"Right."

America sat back in his seat, satisfied.

* * *

><p>Japan sighed with relief. He had successfully evacuated the French city of Nice. He thought it was a very beautiful city and it would be a total shame if doppelgangers were to come in and destroy it.<p>

As he watched the last of the helicopters and boats leave, he turned around, thanked the soldiers that accompanied them, and dismissed them.

"What about you, sir?" a soldier asked.

"I will return to Germany for further orders. This is the last region for evacuation. Please go around and double check that the country really is evacuated. If there is need for another rescue helicopter or boat, please contact me immediately." Japan said calmly.

As his soldiers left Nice, Japan contacted Estonia back at headquarters. "Nice is evacuated. Is there something else for me to do or shall I return?"

"Thank you Japan. You may return and rest for a day. Then you will go out and help evacuate Yemen."

Japan had to stop himself from bowing to air. Forgetting that Estonia couldn't see him at all, he reddened with embarrassment and said, "Ah, thank you..."

He started the trip back up north to Germany soon afterward. It was somewhat weird to see every city abandoned; the country was really a ghost town-no, scratch that. It was a ghost country.

Japan sighed to himself. That was a horrible pun and so he trashed the idea of 'ghost country'. Even if the pun was good, it didn't really fit; he passed by France's house and stopped, remembering that England, Vietnam, and Canada were looking for France starting with his home.

"Perhaps I will help." he mused to himself. He was sure Estonia wouldn't mind if he stepped in for a little bit. The gate was locked so he circled around the house, looking for a way in. There wasn't one so he climbed over the fence and hopped down.

Japan never made it to the door; the door itself flung open followed by several more gun shots. The sudden violence he was thrown into made him reach for his katana at his side. He watched England dive out the door and into a bush. Then Canada stumbled out and England pulled him aside with him.

"Japan!" England yelled over four more gun shots. He beckoned towards him frantically and Japan ran to his side.

"What is going on?" Japan asked, looking around. "And where is Vietnam?"

England cursed and leaned in towards the doorway, peering in. Japan did the same, peering over England's shoulder.

They both withdrew quickly as Vietnam dashed out the door. Japan reached out and pulled her aside like England had done with Canada. She nearly hit him with the butt of her gun until she realized who he was. "Japan, what are you doing here?" she panted, looking bewildered.

"What's going on?" Japan asked again as the four retreated to the gate.

As Vietnam scowled about how they couldn't climb the gate with their injuries, England barked, "Dark France is in there! Dark China's with him!"

Japan gaped at him. "Dark China?" He suddenly remembered the incident with Malaysia's nose and the wild chase back at Guangzhou. "And then Dark France...this is not very good."

"Damn right it isn't." England roared. He used the gun and banged it against the lock of the gate. The gate rattled and the metal was dented but the lock was still intact. Gritting his teeth, England stepped back and held out both hands, somewhat embarrassed to do something like this in front of people. There was no other way now and he started to chant.

Japan watched him curiously for a second but then out of the corner of his eye he caught a flicker and turned. Dark France and Dark China were several feet away from them now. Dark France had throw his gun aside; he had probably ran out of ammo. Dark China, on the other hand, still had his.

"England, hurry!" Canada urged.

England's chanting grew louder and his tone darkened. Vietnam and Japan wasn't exactly sure what England was doing but they disregarded him and focused at the doppelgangers. Vietnam had only four shots left and Japan rarely found himself carrying a gun. He made a mental reminder to go get one if they ever make it out of the situation alive.

"-inte_kantera_!" England shouted, ending the incantation. The lock exploded and sparks burst out from it, catching the grass around them on fire.

Dark China started to shoot but England pointed at him and yelled, "Declanavi!" The bullet deflected off of an invisible force. The others didn't complain; they shoved the gates open and fled. Japan noticed they all had a hard time running and he offered to drive the car up to them while they stalled.

"Here," England fished the keys from his pocket and tossed it to Japan, who caught it with ease. "It's parked over there at the corner!" England glanced back and somehow deflected a few more bullets with nothing but a single uttering of a word.

When Japan drove by the three didn't waste time and jumped into the car while it was still moving. Neither one of them had both feet in the car when England yelled, "DRIVE!"

Vietnam glanced behind them and watched as Dark France and Dark China stared after them, their malevolent red eyes following them with an intense darkness that made her uneasy and look away.

"Thank you so much Japan." Canada said gratefully. "Thank you..."

"If you haven't stopped by I don't know what we would do." England said, crossing his arms. "Honestly, if only they weren't sitting within range of the front door..."

Vietnam pursed her lips. "If Dark China was there, why didn't Estonia tell us? Or was Dark China not here when Dark France chased us?"

"But when you contacted him, wouldn't he see Dark China coming towards us?" Canada asked timidly.

"Why not ask him?" England asked.

Japan frowned. "England...I don't know why but I have a feeling we shouldn't."

"Why is that?"

"I...do not know."

A silence filled the car and it remained like this until they were in the outskirts of the city. England sighed and muttered to Canada, "Oi, you're better now, aren't you?"

Canada blinked at him. "Oh, yes. The pain isn't too bad anymore. It stills hurts a little but I think I will be fine."

"So are we helping you evacuate Japan?" asked Vietnam.

Japan shook his head. "No. We're going back to Germany's house. I don't know why but I have a feeling that something is happening."


	16. StandOff

Germany burst through the doors of the conference room and sought out Dark Estonia. Estonia looked up from the computers and met Germany's gaze. At first he was puzzled but then realization crossed his face and he took on an expression that confirmed him to be Estonia's doppelganger.

"Dark Canada told you, didn't he?" Dark Estonia asked calmly, turning his chair to face Germany.

Germany lifted his gun to point it at Dark Estonia. "Dark Italy did." Germany growled.

Dark Estonia raised an eyebrow. "He was there? So is that why you all stopped? I see..."

"Where's the real one?" Cameroon asked him, joining Germany at his side. Switzerland lifted his shotgun up. Sweden wielded his gun but didn't raise it; he watched Dark Estonia carefully.

Dark Estonia didn't answer. He merely smiled at Cameroon as if they were having a casual conversation over lunch.

"Asking questions won't do a thing." Germany growled. He looked at his gun gleaming in the light of the room. "And we'll be wasting bullets if we-"

The side door burst open and a cheerful laugh echoed in the room, followed by Romano's whine, "Why can't we just go through the main doors, damnit!"

"Because a _hero_ always go through unexpected places!" America declared, pointing his gun at Estonia. "Huh?" He glanced at Germany. "Hey, how did you guys know? That's not fair! I was supposed to come in and reveal the big secret and everything!" America sighed, crestfallen.

Germany was just as bewildered at America's presence. "What are you doing back here? Did you find Russia?" he demanded.

America laughed again. "Nope! But we did find out that Estonia right there is a doppelganger! But of course..." he cleared his throat. "You already know that."

Dark Estonia looked from Germany's group and then at America's, who also held their guns up pointing at him. "Well this is a sticky situation, isn't it?" he mused, as if he didn't care.

"So why do you not have red eyes?" Switzerland asked roughly.

Dark Estonia reached up towards his eyes, taking off his glasses, and then he took off a green colored contact, revealing bright red eyes. "These contacts aren't like regular ones; they hide any trace of color from my eyes." Dark Estonia mused. "Do you like them? I developed them myself." He put the contact back in and blinked.

"We can capture this one." New Zealand said as Dark Estonia put his glasses back on.

America gave him a thumbs up. "Yes we can. Come on men, let's go!" America and the others stepped up to Dark Estonia as Germany ordered Switzerland and Cameroon to guard the side door in case Dark Estonia tried anything funny. America latched onto Dark Estonia's arm and held his gun to Dark Estonia's head. Australia and Spain pointed both of their guns at Dark Estonia's chest and New Zealand left the room to find a pair of hand cuffs ("You can find a pair in the bottom drawer of my desk in my office!" Germany called.).

Romano jeered in Dark Estonia's face. "Well, well! You think you could outsmart us you jerk? Ha! Look where you are now."

"Romano," Spain said. "Don't tease him."

Romano folded his arms. "Why, huh? He can't do anything, that bastard."

The doors flew open again and everyone's attention turned from Dark Estonia to England, Vietnam, Canada, and Japan who barged in quickly. England, Vietnam, and Canada all looked like they've been tortured; England's nose was somewhat crooked and his arm was soaked with his blood. Vietnam had a deep gash on her cheek and she walked with a limp; her ankle had been torn with two bullets.

At first, Germany didn't recognize Canada until he glanced at America. He saw the familiarity of the two and suddenly realized who Canada was. He was supported by Japan, who had no wounds on him but he looked somewhat tired.

That is, until Japan noticed that everyone was pointing their guns at Dark Estonia. He perked and stammered, "What is...how is-why...?"

"_Oi_!" England barked, leaning on the doorway for support. "Why the bloody hell is everyo-" He stopped and another thought reached him. _What if these are all doppelgangers? And they're about to hurt Estonia because he's the one who gives us information...so then...oh brilliant, just bloody brilliant!_

"What is it England?" Japan asked quietly, giving him a concerned look when he saw England's horrified look.

"Everyone in here except for us and Estonia are doppelgangers!" England hissed urgently, a wave of crashing fear flowing through his entire body. _So many...and so many strong ones!_

"What makes you think that?" Vietnam whispered incredulously, looking from England to the others in the room.

"Think about it, why would they want to shoot Estonia?" England whispered back.

Japan stared at England for a while and then he walked right up to Germany. "Japan, you're done with your work at France, aren't you?" Germany asked him. "Why don't you t-" Japan drew his katana and held it against Germany's neck with a cold look in his eyes. An audible gasp erupted throughout the room at Japan's sudden movement.

_Japan's made his move, it's our turn before we get beaten again._ England thought hastily. He raised a new gun and pointed it at who he thought was Dark America; England had back up guns in the car and he was glad he thought to bring them in.

Vietnam and Canada also brought theirs out; Vietnam aimed hers at Switzerland and Canada pointed his gun at Australia. The others were stunned at first and then Romano swung his gun around and aimed at England. "H-hey! They must be wearing contacts too!" he stammered.

"Contacts?" Vietnam murmured, but no one said anything else about contacts.

Sweden turned and aimed at Japan but Japan raised his other arm to point one of England's back up guns back at Sweden. Australia's gun left Dark Estonia and he switched between pointing it at Vietnam and England. He didn't seem to notice Canada still pointing his gun at him at all.

The side door opened and Spain and Switzerland turned automatically towards the side door, aiming. New Zealand came in with the hand cuffs but he froze as soon as he saw the standoff. His jaw nearly fell open at the sight and he dropped the hand cuffs, fumbling for his own gun. He swung it around but he wasn't sure who anyone was pointing at. All he knew was that only America had a gun on Dark Estonia and he knew that Dark Estonia would need to be taken care of. He raised his gun at Dark Estonia.

For some reason, that only made Japan and Vietnam switch their targets to him and he gulped. _Why are they pointing at me?_ New Zealand thought. _They aren't doppelgangers too, are they?_

"WAIT!" Germany barked before anyone could switch targets again. "Who is who and why are you-"

Germany was silenced when Japan pressed the edge of his blade against Germany's throat. Germany narrowed his eyes at Japan when he felt a small trickle of blood run down his neck. "Why are you wanting to hurt Estonia?" Japan asked coldly.

Germany understood now. England and his group walked in to see everyone point a gun at Dark Estonia; he had temporarily forgotten that England and the others didn't know that Dark Estonia had posed at the real one. When England and the others saw them pointing their guns at Dark Estonia, they mistaken everyone else as doppelgangers.

"You don't understand." Germany said. "That is-" Germany was cut off when people started to move again; the tension in the air was still rigid and no one seemed to trust what was going on. "Everybody stop moving!" Germany scowled. He pointed at Dark Estonia. The sudden movement caused some people to jump and move in his general direction. "That is not the real Estonia!" And then he pointed at England. "And that is the real England, can't you see the wounds? Have you all forgotten that doppelgangers can heal immediately?"

After a few seconds, some of the countries in Germany and America's group lowered their weapons slightly as if considering the facts.

"Then why is Dark Estonia's eyes normal?" Vietnam demanded, refusing to lower her gun at New Zealand who was still aiming at Dark Estonia.

"Contacts." America chirped.

England scowled. "Why of course, how come I haven't _thought_ of that? Contacts can hide one's eye color _completely_, now can they?"

"Dark Estonia developed them." Spain said, oblivious to England's sarcasm. He looked back from England and America. Spain now turned his gun back towards Dark Estonia, and so did Switzerland.

Dark Estonia sighed when Sweden pointed his gun back at him. "Ah, and the fun ends already. I was enjoying the standoff. I suppose you'll take me as a prisoner now. I'd be wasting energy if I try to fight now. Here." Dark Estonia held out both of his hands at New Zealand.

New Zealand glanced at Vietnam, who finally lowered her gun from him, and then at Germany, who gave him a nod. Picking up the handcuffs with one hand and gripping his gun tightly in the other, New Zealand hurried to Dark Estonia and cautiously slipped the cuffs onto him.

Dark Estonia's eyes gleamed dangerously but New Zealand didn't want to look at him; even though he looked exactly like the real Estonia at the moment, it was unnerving nevertheless. Spain and Sweden offered to walk with New Zealand so that he didn't have to deal with Dark Estonia by himself.

The tension in the room seemed to vanish and once New Zealand, Spain, and Sweden took Dark Estonia out of the room, everyone lowered their weapons completely and came together to meet in the middle.

Japan sheathed his katana. "I am very sorry for threatening you Germany. I did not know. Please forgive me."

Germany lifted his hand and wiped the small trail of blood from his skin. "No worries." he said in a matter of fact tone. "I've felt worse."

Japan murmured something to England and England nodded, his green eyes flashing with anxiety. "Germany, they have a hideout in Guangzhou. We- Vietnam and I-"

"And Canada." Japan added quickly.

England glanced back at Japan and then sent an apologetic look at Canada. "Oh, yes, and Canada. We were tied up and and Vietnam heard Dark France tell Dark China-"

"Wait, Dark China?" America interrupted. "Dude, why is Dark China at France's place?"

"Shut up you idiot, I was getting to that!" England snapped impatiently. "Dark France was saying that he was going to transfer us to the Guangzhou hideout-"

"What's the Guangzhou hideout?" America asked as Germany gaped at England in disbelief.

"What do you think?" England asked irritably. "The Guangzhou hideout is a fast food restaurant where they sell hamburgers made of purple cows and unicorns."

"No way bro, _really_?"

"_Idiot_!"

Germany then sent England, Vietnam, and Canada away to recover from their wounds. A hideout in Guangzhou was something that Germany wanted to hear; it did him good to know that they know something new and he spent the next hour thinking it through in his office. Japan had taken over being in charge with keeping everyone updated with what had happened; he had put everybody on the same line and told them the news about Dark Estonia.

It was evening when Germany had made a new plan. He walked around his house, going from room to room to check up on the ill. They were feeling better now that some of their people were evacuating. He made sure that they all had food to eat and water to drink before making his way to the conference room where Japan was at with a few other countries watching the red dots move across the world map.

"Japan, take a break from the computers." Germany said.

Japan slowly glanced up at Germany, shadows underneath his eyes. "No thank you. I can continue." he said in a low voice.

Germany placed a hand on Japan's shoulders. "Go rest. Tomorrow you can continue again."

Japan blinked. "I thought I was evacuating Yemen tomorrow...or at least the day after."

"No, I will assign someone else that country. You will stay here and take care of things until Vietnam recovers. After that she'll take over. Until then, you are staying here. But not right now." Germany added. "Rest. I'll take over."

Japan gave in and retreated to one of Germany's many guest rooms to sleep. Germany slipped the headset over his ears and one by one, he hovered the mouse over every red dot located on the world map to identify who was where at the moment.

America sat next to Germany, peering over his shoulder at the monitors. "So, starting tomorrow do I go back and find Russia?" he asked.

Germany shook his head, surprising America. "You mean you're _firing_ me?" America exclaimed. "How can you fire the _hero_?"

"I'm not firing you." Germany said calmly. "I'm only switching you to another job."

"A promotion? It's a promotion, right? Dudes, guess what? I got a promotion!" America called to the other end of the conference room where Belarus (fully recovered), Korea, and Iceland were passing by.

"What? Hey, how come I didn't get a promotion, da-ze?" Korea whined while Belarus flipped her hair and exited the room in a huff.

Germany eyed Korea's sullen expression. "What are you supposed to be doing?" Germany asked.

"Well I was told to evacuate Korea and Mongolia, da-ze. I'm done."

Germany nodded at Korea, his mind already decided. "Alright then, you'll go with America. I think you'd be familiar with the terrain-or at least fit it. Come."

Korea's expression brightened considerably and he bounded towards them. "What's the mission?" Korea asked.

"Did Japan tell you about Guangzhou?" Germany asked Korea.

Korea scrunched up his nose. "Ah...that's where Malaysia broke his nose, da-ze. Oh! He's getting better, da-ze! He says that he can return to duty tomorrow, da-ze!"

Germany made a mental reminder to find a fitting job for Malaysia when he returned. "Is that all you know?"

Korea shook his head. "Japan almost turned us all into roadkill when we were there, da-ze." Korea said seriously. "He got us lost too, da-ze."

"Other than that?"

Korea frowned. "Aniki hit Japan in the head, da-ze."

America laughed and clapped Korea on the back. "Dude, he means did you hear what happened just now?"

Korea shook his head.

America tapped his chin. "Well, there's a secret hiding place there. Are we going to go find it?"

"Not exactly. I'll find one other person to go with you two, but what you have to do is to go there and infiltrate it. Vietnam told me that she also heard Dark France say something about 'the others'. Go find out who the others are and if they are some missing countries try to bring them back."


	17. Brother to Brother

America stared at the room number for a long time. He had heard from Germany where exactly Canada was staying at and before he went to Guangzhou, he decided to visit his brother. With a bouquet of flowers in hand, America turned the door knob and peered inside.

The room was dimmed and America could hear a faint buzz of the machines around Canada. Canada turned his head slowly to look at America in surprise. "Hello," he said in his quiet voice.

America gave Canada a smile. "Hey. Um...I got you flowers. I don't know which ones you like so uh, sorry 'bout that."

Canada shifted, sitting upright. "It's fine, America. Just set them over there." Canada nodded to the table at the end of his bed. America gently placed them on the table and came around to sit down by his brother. "I heard that you're going to Guangzhou." Canada said.

America nodded, shifting around in his seat. "Yeah. Germany says that we were supposed to go an hour before but I wanted to stop by and, ah, chat."

Canada smiled warmly at America. "I'm very glad to hear that you want to talk to me." He watched as America picked at a stray thread from his sleeve. "What do you want to talk about?"

America slowly looked up at Canada, and Canada was taken aback. He had known his brother to be rather loud and boisterous at times, but there wasn't any sign of his upbeat personality. America looked much more subtle, almost solemn. "Can I...talk to you?"

Canada nodded. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

America sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Dude, you know how many people I can talk openly to?"

Canada shook his head.

America adverted his eyes. "Well, not many. England will tease me. Germany will just offer me beer. France will do who knows what. And other people won't know what to do actually." He frowned, hesitating. "I think... the only person I can really talk to is you."

Canada couldn't help but flash a look of surprise onto his face. "I... see. I'm glad to hear you can talk openly to me, but..." Canada frowned as America bit his lip nervously. "What's wrong?"

America debated whether or not he really wanted to talk but after seeing Canada's gentleness he found himself on his knees, burying his head into the bedsheets next to Canada. He told Canada how he really was worried about Dark America and how strong he could be. He was terrified at the thought of his darker self destroying the countries around the globe and how dangerous Dark America could be. America told Canada how bloody his past was and how he had hoped that everything he did was out of justice and yet everything still returned to haunt him.

America told Canada that this was the first time in a very long time since he felt a little frightened.

Canada sighed heavily when America finished his rant. "It's hard to imagine someone like you can have such a painful past."

America gave Canada a serene look. Then he smiled weakly and shook his head. "Everyone has a painful past, bro. It's just that, well, I don't know about you but I get on a lot of people's nerves. Some of them have a grudge with me right now actually." America tugged at his collar anxiously as he lifted himself back up into his chair. "The thing is, what do I do?"

Canada gazed outside the window pensively. It was mid morning, and in the distance he saw German troops marching around in search of Dark Germany. They had no luck yet and by the way they moved Canada could tell they were somewhat more cautious than usual.

Looking at the blue azure sky, Canada said, "We all know how to weaken the doppelgangers, don't we?"

America stared at him. "Come again?"

"We all want happiness, right?" Canada asked. "We want to fly into the air and soar, free from sorrow, poverty, hunger, and anything else that hinders what makes us happy. The happiness we want is warm and comforting like the sun but also high spirited and light like the clouds. That happiness is the opposite of hate, the opposite of the doppelgangers themselves. We chase them in the shadows, but what we need to do is to step out into the sunlight and wait for them to come."

America smiled at Canada and chuckled lightly. "You've been reading Japan's haikus, right?"

Canada returned America's smile. "I think that you should embrace your past instead of running away from it."

"I'm not running away." America said, a little defensively. "I'm just advancing in the opposite direction."

The two brothers grinned at each other. "My mistake. You should start to embrace your past instead of advancing in the opposite direction." Canada corrected. "So...don't be afraid. Your history is who you are, right? So runn- I mean, advancing the other way is like you're not accepting yourself."

America considered his brother's words and nodded. "I see. So there's no other way, is there? I just have to deal with it, don't I?"

Canada flickered a ghost of a smile at him. "About time you learn you lesson, don't you think America?"

America groaned. "What's the moral?"

"Mind your own business."

"But that's not what a hero _does_!"

Canada raised his eyebrow. "There is more than one hero, you know that, right?"

Silence. Then America stood up and brushed the dirt from his knees. "Thanks bro," he said to Canada. "I better get going. Guangzhou, huh? What an adventure."

"Fit for a hero." Canada said earnestly.

America gave him a broad grin. "Yup! A hero like me!" Then he laughed a real, genuine laugh. "Get better soon, okay? Next time, we'll go somewhere and you can see how heroic I really am!"

America waved at Canada as he left the room, and Canada closed his eyes, leaning back in his bed to rest.

* * *

><p>"Where were you?" Hungary asked America in front of Germany's house. She and Korea were leaning against a car when America jogged up to them. She, Korea, and America were to investigate the Guangzhou hideout and she was ready to go.<p>

America ran to the car and flung the first door open, sliding into the driver's seat. "I went to visit Canada." he said cheerfully. Ignoring the look of confusion on Hungary and Korea's face, America turned the engine on and beckoned for the two to get in. "Right, so here's the plan-"

"We're not backing you up all the time, da-ze." Korea said at once, wagging a finger at America as he slid into the passenger seat. "The plan is to wander around Guangzhou until a doppelganger finds us."

"We'll let him or her take us and hopefully lead us to the hideout." Hungary said, slamming the back door shut. "From what Germany told me, this hideout is probably some kind of prison."

America stepped on the pedal, making the car lurch forward. Within seconds America sped down the streets while Korea pointed behind them, saying, "America, Guangzhou is that way, da-ze!"

"I knew that!" America spun the car around so violently that Hungary and Korea were flung to the side of the car while America barely managed to stay still by tightening his grip on steering wheel. Excitement and eagerness restored, America let out a whoop. Korea fastened his seat belt hastily before giving him a curious look. Then Korea laughed and joined in as well.

Hungary glanced between the two and sighed. "These two are so troublesome," she mused to herself.


	18. Infiltrating Guangzhou

Guangzhou was a ghost town. Well, city to be exact. Even Korea mentioned that it didn't look the same as when he had last visited a few days before. America had never been to Guangzhou before, but he sensed that things were slightly off.

"Well obviously," Korea said, nudging a fallen bicycle with his foot. "No one is here, da-ze!"

"They must have already evacuated Guangzhou." Hungary said, her voice soft and wondrous. She gazed up at the buildings and the bright lights that happened to be on. "No one bothered to shut off the electricity?"

America scanned the street. Many cars, bicycles, and motorcycles were left on the side of the street and even some shop windows and fast food restaurants (some at which America was very tempted to go in and check things out) had their doors opened ajar. "Hey, you don't think anyone would mind if we borrow one of these, do you?" America asked, bending over to prop up a beautiful, gleaming red motorcycle. He brushed off the seat and patted it.

"America, that's someone's motorcycle." Hungary chided. "You can't just take it."

"She's right, da-ze." Korea said. "And besides, with everything on the ground, it would be hard to maneuver through, da-ze."

America gave them a mischievous grin. "Nothing is too hard for me." he claimed.

Hungary couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his direction. "Have you ever tried to walk in heels?"

America's triumphant grin faded. "Okay, I take it back. How can you girls _walk_ in them?"

Hungary laughed. "We just do. Come on, we have to go attract a doppelganger's attention, right? I wonder if they'll take us to the hideout."

"What if they don't?" America asked, gently putting the motorcycle back down.

"Ahaha," Hungary laughed nervously. "Let's not think about that, shall we?"

As the three wandered down the streets, waiting for a doppelganger to snatch them up, Korea glanced up at the sky and said, "Well, how do we get them to find us, da-ze?"

"Is that question really necessary to ask?" America asked, another grin tugging at his lips. He and Korea shared a knowing look.

Hungary eyed them carefully. "What are you two planning?" she asked slowly.

"Well, if you think about it, how else can you make your presence known, da-ze?" Korea asked as America casually walked into the nearest shop. Korea beckoned Hungary to follow and she hurried after Korea and America into a well lighted small shop.

The shop was filled with chinaware ("I bet I can make a totally awesome pun based on this." America mused.) and silverware, all stocked up on the shelves. They gleamed as the three passed by. America glanced at them one by one, as if trying to see which one would make the most satisfying sound when broken.

_Wait a second..._ Hungary stopped and shot an exasperated look at America and Korea, who took down a few plates to inspect them. They even went as far as to tap a spoon on the plate to test its sound.

"Wait!" Hungary cried. "You can't just break plates in the shop!"

"Oh come on, we'll even leave some money on the counter." America said. "It's all good."

"No matter how many plates you smash it won't carry across the city." Hungary said pointedly. "Put them down."

"Hmmm," Korea cocked his head thoughtfully. "Nah, I think we're good."

"Yup. It's dead silent out there anyway." America said, glancing out the window. "And I've always wanted to do this."

America and Korea grabbed as many plates as they could carry and lifted them above their heads. Hungary stepped back, scolding, "Well don't throw straight down then. Throw them elsewhere, honestly."

America and Korea turned simultaneously and hurled the chinaware down onto the ground away from them. Hungary had an uneasy feeling as she watched the plates break upon contact with the ground. The three waited in the eerie silence that followed, but nothing happened.

"I told you it wasn't enough." Hungary sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "It would take every plate in the shop to-I mean, I didn't mean it literally!" She rushed forward to prevent America and Korea from pushing over a whole shelf of goods over. Pulling America and Korea out of the shop, she scowled, "And to think that I let you break someone's things like that."

Korea yanked his arm from Hungary's tight grip and said, "Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best idea, da-ze. However, I just got a better idea!"

Hungary released America and looked expectantly at the Korean man, waiting for him to go on.

"America, you have your gun with you, da-ze. Right?"

America fished for his gun and whipped it out for Korea and Hungary to see. "Tada! Pretty cool, huh guys?" he asked, catching the chinaware shop's light with the gun.

Korea snatched the gun from America and pointed it to the sky. "Oh, I see." America said, recovering from Korea snatching his gun. "A gunshot will definitely ring through the city! They'll have to find us!"

Hungary nodded her approval. "Alright then, let's see which doppelganger is coming our way then. Go on."

Korea pulled the trigger and an explosion shattered the night. The night wasn't the only thing shattered however; almost immediately after the shot a window from the building across the street shattered and the glass shards plummeted to the ground. Korea laughed nervously under Hungary's 'Are you serious?' look. "Accident, da-ze?"

"By the looks of it, is was no accident, was it Korea?" America sneered.

Korea gave America a haughty look. "Well I was only trying to help, da-ze."

But America gave Korea a bewildered expression. "That wasn't me dude." he cried.

Korea stared blankly at America. "Well fu-"

"Get down!" Hungary ordered, pulling America and Korea down as a barrage of bullets flew over their heads. She shoved them behind a car and pressed her back against the metal door. "That's Dark America, isn't it?" she breathed, bringing her gun out.

A chill ran through America's body but he nodded curtly. "That's him alright. I know my voice well."

"Well obviously, who wouldn't, da-ze?" Korea asked, peering through the windows of the car to catch a glimpse at Dark America. "What? Where'd he go, da-ze?"

America and Hungary turned and craned their necks to follow Korea's gaze. America frowned when he only saw an empty sidewalk. "I don't..." He stopped when a small _clink_ caught his attention. A wave of alarm caused him to grab a hold of Korea's arm and Hungary's arm and drag them away from the car. "Get out!" he yelled.

He managed to drag them back inside the chinaware shop as the grenade exploded, catching the car on fire. The windows in the chinaware shop exploded, showering over them with tiny glass fragments. Hungary hastily brushed the glass out of her long light brown hair. They all ducked as another barrage of bullets destroyed what glass was left in the window frame.

"Hey!" Korea yelled towards the streets. "You _do _realize that you can kill us, right?"

Dark America's response was another shower of bullets and Korea ducked back down, giving America a curious look. "So now what do we do, da-ze? I thought Germany said that they weren't willing to kill us, da-ze."

"They aren't supposed to." America breathed.

Hungary sighed. "Oh great, we have a rebellious doppelganger."

America couldn't help but chuckle. "I was pretty rebellious when I was young."

"No kidding, da-ze." Korea mused.

Hungary crawled along the glass littered floor to the backroom. "Come on. Let's find a way out of here. Remember, we have to let him catch us. We can't overpower him."

America laughed. "I doubt we can by ourselves. I may be a hero but we need more than one for this dude." he added in a more subtle tone.

They crawled into the backroom and got off of their knees. Brushing the dirt from their pant legs, they ran down the small hall and flung open the backdoor and into a small narrow alleyway.

"Towards him!" Hungary said hastily, running alongside the wall of the building. "Remember, let him capture us! Act natural!"

"Don't worry!" America grinned. "Leave it all to me." He gave her a thumbs up and ran ahead of her, sliding across the ground to reveal himself to Dark America back on the streets.

"Hey you!" America called to Dark America. "That's right! The hero's right here!"

Dark America turned his head to look at his original. America had successfully suppressed a small shudder when he finally met his doppelganger's gaze. Dark America's dark red eyes pierced through him; he knew it sounded cheesy even in his head, but Dark America's eyes seemed as if they could see into his very soul.

"You don't seem to be frightened." Dark America said thickly. "I'm curious about this, why make yourselves known? Hm?"

America flashed Dark America a wide smile. "Because..." He pointed to himself with his thumb. "As a full fledged, hero, I must put a stop to every doppelganger and bring justice to the world!"

Korea stepped up and added, "And we're all here to stop you, da-ze!"

Dark America looked highly amused. "Bring justice? Lies. Your sense of justice is not justice to anyone else. Your sense of justice is merely a vague term for your sense of want. You want the world to go the way you want, is that not right, _dude_?" He laughed again and added, "Your sense of justice is merely shaped by your beliefs. What other people call justice is different from what you call it. Think back, will you?"

America looked unfazed. Hungary and Korea gave him props for not showing rage and shooting the shit out of Dark America.

"England had taken care of you for a while." Dark America mused. "He raised you as his little brother. What happened next? You turned on him and broke away. His people did not think that was justice. Sure, it might seem like the most reasonable thing to do, and sometimes what you do _is_ justice, but was all of that war really necessary? You're just a young fool who picks a fight."

America gave Dark America a cocky grin. "Maybe you're right. But hey, it's who I am. It's who we are, so don't you try to change us!"

America raised his gun and aimed at Dark America. Hungary gave America a startled look. "Hey, we're not supposed to-" she hissed.

"I know, I know." America whispered back. "But trust me. Follow my lead you guys." America sent a cool gaze towards Dark America and pulled the trigger.

But for some odd reason America's arm jerked wildly away from Dark America and he ended up hitting another shop window across the street. "Oh _no_!" he cried out in a highly exasperated tone. "How could I have missed _that_?"

Confused, Hungary watched as America tried to shoot Dark America again but his arm jerked up to the sky and he shot up into the air. "Oh _dear!_ How my aim has gravely worsened!" America groaned in a fake, mortified tone.

Korea picked up what they were supposed to do and took his turn. He charged forward but somehow 'tripped' over a fallen sign post and fell to the ground. "Oh no, da-ze!" Korea gasped. "I have fallen and I can not get up, da-ze!"

Hungary had a wild urge to slap both America and Korea. She told them to act natural. How on earth was this natural!

Dark America only watched indifferently as America and Korea continued to make fools of themselves. America seemed as if he was a stunt double in an action movie, jumping to the side as if he was dodging an invisible volley of bullets. He landed into the streets and shot at Dark America but he only hit the cars behind Dark America. "Oh how _cruel_ this gun can be to me!" America groaned. "And how my side hurts! I bet anyone, and I mean _anyone_, can come over and take me captive without me being able to fight back! Oh cruel, _cruel_ world!"

Korea, on the other hand, acted as if he was in one of his dramas. He raised a wobbly hand towards Hungary and said hoarsely. "Hungary, my dear Hungary...da-ze...I am no more! I can not _stand_ to live life any longer! The world has fallen. The doppelgangers have taken over, da-ze. No longer am I a nation, but I am now one of the forgotten, one of the past...I am now eternally bound to history, da-ze. But please...if you get back to Germany's..." Korea let out two weak coughs. "When you get back to Germany...tell Aniki and the others that...that I...I...love them..."

Dark America folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "Bravo," he said sarcastically. "What a way to end your life dude. But no, seriously. I need you alive so I'm afraid I'll have to bring you back. Hungary, seeing that you haven't even tried to shoot me leads me to think that you three intend for me to capture you three."

Hungary froze.

"Come now, don't give me that expression." Dark America snickered. "It was obvious the moment I heard you three smash the plates. Who in their right mind will do that here?"

Hungary gave Dark America a cold gaze. "Why are you here?" she whispered gravely.

"'Scuse me?" Dark America cocked his ear to her.

"Why are you here of all doppelgangers?" Hungary demanded aggressively. "We're in China. Why are you here, Dark America?"

Dark America didn't answer right away. "Dark America, huh?" Dark America mused. "Dark...America. _Dark_..." Dark America seemed to like the way the words rolled on his tongue. "So is that how you refer to us? Doppelgangers and Dark whatever, am I right? Dude, even though you're the enemy, that's totally badass."

America glanced at his doppelganger. "Yup, that's mine alright." he grinned.

Korea lifted his head and said, "Hey, aren't you supposed to be knocked out, da-ze?"

"Aren't you?" America shot back.

Korea was silent. "Shut up, da-ze."

Dark America glanced at America on the ground and scoffed. "No matter. I'll do you a favor and capture you. But not for your benefit; you three will be captured for our own. Ha, this will be great. I have my own original right here...this is going to be so damn great!"

* * *

><p>Hungary gritted her teeth as she was blindfolded. Dark America had bound her to the other three with rope. Dark America was very strong and she felt as if her blood circulation was completely cut off the moment he pulled at the ropes.<p>

She, America, and Korea let out a small sound of surprise when the three were slung over Dark America's shoulders and carried around as if they were a sleeping bag. Dark America said, "Don't act all surprised. You should know that I'm plenty strong."

Hungary wasn't sure how long they had been on Dark America's shoulders. She worried that one of them would slip from their places and get caught in the ropes, strangling themselves. However, the ropes were tight and they never felt like they'd unravel.

It felt as if a whole hour passed when Dark America finally tossed them down to the ground. The three of them grunted as they landed; America was unfortunate enough to be the one on the bottom face down while Korea and Hungary's combined weight threatened to suffocate him.

"So where do you want them?" a familiar voice asked.

_China?_ Hungary thought, but it wasn't China, but rather Dark China.

"I dunno, where do _you_ want them?" Dark America asked.

"Throw Hungary in with Liechtenstein." Dark China said. "Korea can go with Estonia, aru. And...is that _America_?" Dark China sounded stunned.

"You can bet your panda on it." Dark America laughed.

Footsteps closed in on the three and Hungary felt someone's foot tilting them over so they could get a look at America who was suffocating on the ground. "Well what do you know..." Dark China whispered.

"I know right? Am I good or what?" Dark America mused.

Dark China chuckled darkly. "Alright then. Give him his own cell. aru. A cell with the five inch iron doors."

"Like the one Russia has?"

Hungary still couldn't see what was going on, but she could envision Dark China smiling viciously. "Yes, exactly like Russia's."


	19. Locked up

America grunted as he hit the ground. He wished Dark America would be gentler but that was like saying that England's cooking was the most delicious food he had ever tasted.

Glancing around the cell, America thought that he didn't mind getting his own cell. It was actually quite spacy and roomy. The ground was pretty clean and the cell was well lighted. There was even a cot in the corner with an actual pillow and blanket. Now if only he wasn't in a straitjacket...

America squirmed in the jacket, struggling to get into a sitting position. It bothered him that his glasses were resting at the very tip of his nose and he couldn't push it back up in place; and now that he thought about it, he really had to scratch. He threw a rueful look at Dark America, who was standing in front of him looking down at him with an amused expression. There was no way that Dark America would help him out. In fact, why was Dark America in the cell with him?

The cell door was still open, but only a crack. America had taken a good look at the door that would separate him and freedom. He thought that a five inch iron door was ridiculous when he first heard of it but then again, Dark China had mentioned 'doors' and not 'door'. To his surprise, he had counted three sets of five inch iron doors; the first two slid open and the last swung open.

"What's the matter?" Dark America jeered. "We aren't reckless or careless. We actually plan things out."

America raised an eyebrow at him, hoping that he didn't look concerned. "So how did you guys get here anyway? How do you know what to do? And when did you get a physical form? Seriously, this is weird."

Dark America gave him a cocky grin. "Well, look who's asking all the questions. Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Dark America raised his foot and rested it on America's head. Without warning, Dark America shifted his weight onto that foot and America grunted again as he was forced down. His glasses fell off and his nose was a mere few centimeters from the ground.

Dark America's tone darkened. "What do you mean 'how did we get here'? We're hatred; we were always here." And then his tone lightened back to the sly tone. "Oh wait, hold on. You mean physically, right?"

America held his breath as Dark America lifted his foot from his head. America dared to look up but he regretted it; his head flew back and he was sent to the ground on his back. His nose felt heavy with the blood overflowing from his nostrils and running through the small surprised gap between his lips. He tasted the metallic blood in his mouth and spat. The rest of the blood flowed down his chin and down his neck, staining the front of his shirt.

"I never said you can look up." Dark America said calmly. He circled around his original, watching him carefully. Even though America couldn't see him clearly, he was well aware of the dark red eyes glaring at him, shooting invisible bullets into him with only the gaze itself.

Dark America's steps were soft and steady, never breaking the rhythm. America laid on the ground, bound by the straitjacket and bleeding from the nose.

"Well, how did we get here physically..." Dark America said slowly. "Lemme think. No...let _us_ think." Dark America stopped in his tracks right by America's head. America stared up at the blurred figure looking back down at him (at least, he thought that Dark America was looking down at him; he wasn't so sure). "We, as the United States of America, have a strong will, don't we? Don't I?" Dark America asked softly.

America said nothing.

"And admit it, you truly do want things your way, don't you? Don't I? You interfere with other countries' ordeals, don't you? Don't I? It's frustrating to see that the world isn't running quite the way you want. The way I want. And sometimes you try to improve the world but more in a way you want. The way I want. But that isn't going the way you expected. The way _I_ expected." Dark America sounded much more dangerous.

America felt his insides burn. There was no hiding it from himself, or at least, a fragment of himself. Yes, it was true that America wanted what was best for everyone but he had to admit that he can get...what was the word?

"Spoiled, aren't you? Aren't I?" Oh yes. That was the word; 'spoiled'.

"And so I guess I got tired of you. And so I left. Normally emotions can't do that, but hey, like I said. Like you said. Hatred is one of the most strongest emotions. And in order to get out, you need the will to get out. You have a strong will..._I have a strong will_. Why? Because I am hatred. I am America's hatred. I am yours."

America couldn't help but retort, "Well duh, genius. Thanks for telling me something I know. Geez, where did you get those lines from?"

Dark America crouched down to grab America's collar. Pulling him up, Dark America peered into America's light blue eyes. Even without glasses, America could see a distinct coldness in them. "You."

* * *

><p>Liechtenstein opened her eyes with a small gasp when she heard the buzz from the electrified cell bars of the door turn off. She knew that someone was coming in. The bar door slid open and a sharp cry echoed in the cell, followed by a <em>thump<em> of someone falling. The cell door slid back into place and the buzz of the electrified bars was on again.

"W-who's there?" Liechtenstein whispered hoarsely.

She anxiously peered at the figure curled up on the ground. By the way the figure dressed, Liechtenstein figured that the figure was new. She gasped what the figure sat up, groaning. "Ahh, he could be more polite..."

Liechtenstein straightened her back, her eyes wide and her mouth forming an 'o'. "Hungary?"

Hungary turned her head around to a darkened corner of the cell and did a double take. "Liechtenstein?" she exclaimed, crawling towards the country. "Is that really you?"

Liechtenstein's eyes filled with salty tears and she bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying. "Oh Hungary, how is my big brother? Is he okay? Please tell me he's okay!"

Hungary embraced the nation as she cried. Stroking Liechtestein's matted blonde hair, Hungary cooed, "It's alright. We'll be fine. Switzerland is safe. He's with Germany. Shhh, it's okay. How did you get here? Don't you live with your brother? How come you were taken but he wasn't?"

Liechtenstein glanced up at Hungary, her eyes red and puffy. "I was o-out in the gardens." she said quietly. "And I thought I...I thought I saw Big Brother but...but...it wasn't him..."

Hungary nodded, understanding. "I see. It was Dark Switzerland, wasn't it?"

Liechtenstein gave Hungary a puzzled look. "D-dark Switzerland?"

"Ah, don't worry. I'll explain everything." Hungary said gently, and explain she did. Liechtenstein listened with wide eyes about the doppelgangers and how one can distinguish the real nation from the fakes. "Although I heard that Dark Estonia developed some contacts to hide their red eyes completely." Hungary said, pointing at her eyes for visual effect. "But don't worry! We got him locked up at Germany's!"

Then she went on to explain how they were evacuating the countries and some others were searching for missing countries. "Well, even though I didn't know you were missing, we found you now." Hungary added. "And then there's America, Korea, and me who are looking for the Guangzhou hideout, but we already found it." She coughed. "I mean well, we're here right now."

"So now what do we do?" Liechtenstein asked timidly.

Hungary squeezed her small hand warmly. "Right now we gather information and then later we escape together with everyone. Say, do you know who else is here other than Russia and Estonia?"

Liechtenstein looked surprised. "They're here too?" she asked.

Hungary sighed and glanced at the cell bars. "I suppose you don't. Are the bars really electrified?"

Liechtenstein nodded. "Yes. They won't kill you the first time around but the more or the longer you touch the bars I think you don't have a chance. It's very painful..." Liechtenstein pulled up her dirtied sleeve and showed Hungary a long red welt on her skin. She grimaced as Hungary brushed a fingertip over it. "Ah, it still hurts so I try not to touch it..."

Hungary's eyes flashed with vengence. "How dare they try to hurt you."

"But, that was by accident. I didn't think that they were-" Liechtenstein began but Hungary ignored her.

"Mark my words, I will do something about this when we get out of here!" Hungary said, balling up her fist so hard that they shook.

Liechtenstein pursed her lips and leaned in to hug Hungary. "Let's just rest for now, okay?" she asked quietly.

Hungary's face softened and she sighed, continuing to stroke Liechtenstein's hair. "Alright. I'll rest. But only for an hour or two."

* * *

><p>Korea glanced behind him when Hungary had been thrown into a cell. Dark China prodded him in the ribs harshly and prompted him to keep walking. "So, Dark Aniki..." Korea said as casually as he could. "How come you aren't going against the countries you used to hate, da-ze?"<p>

Dark China glared at him, either it was for talking or it was for referring to him as 'Dark Aniki'. "We'd never get things done if we don't work together." he sneered. "And we're much more smarter than to fight amongst ourselves, aru."

Korea cocked his head. "You say 'aru' too, da-ze. Does that mean you like to cook too, da-ze?"

Dark China stopped walking. Soon enough, Korea found himself being held against the wall with Dark China's hand around his throat. Korea couldn't breathe and he was alarmed at the fact that he was actually several feet above the ground. "We aren't our originals." Dark China said coldly. "We only have very few similarities. Appearance, experience, physical abilities that we enhanced, and a few habits, aru."

"So...technically everything?" Korea croaked.

Dark China threw him to the side and Korea landed on his shoulder. His whole right side throbbed but he oignored it. Hurrying to his feet, he started to back away from Dark China with a grin. "Hahaha, that really hurts. But hey look, you let me go, da-ze." And then he turned around and ran, shouting behind his back, "Thanks for letting me go Dark Aniki! I'll make sure to say hi to the real Aniki when I get back to him, da-ze!"

Seconds later, Korea felt a stab of regret. Dark China was much faster than the real China. He thought that he could beat Dark China to the stairs but Dark China had somehow gotten ahead of him by running so quickly that he was able to stick the the walls for a while. Korea had seen a red blur to his left on the walls and then the red blur jumped out in front of him. Dark China was, Korea had to admit, much more stronger.

Korea ducked as Dark China ficked up where his head used to be. It was a close one; Korea could feel the air zip above him just by the mere force of Dark China's kick. Dashing underneath Dark China's leg, he shoved at Dark China in hopes that he would topple over. It would buy time, and Korea only needed just that (and well, the other countries too but time was his first priority now).

Dark China didn't topple over; it was expected of a doppelganger. Instead, when Korea had reached out to push, Dark China caught both of his hands with his own. Twisting around, Dark China overturned Korea and threw him to the ground. Korea landed on his back rather hard and he could have sworn he saw the entire Milky Way for a couple of seconds.

Instinct caused him to roll away. Dark China's fist came down a split second after, leaving a large crack and splintered chunks of cement flying up into the air. Korea hurried to his feet and ran in the opposite direction, feeling his way along the wall. He didnt trust his sense of sight yet; his head still spun.

He never stopped to rest; he kept on running until he was certain he couldn't hear Dark China chasing after him. When he was just too tired, he plopped down on the ground and leaned his head on his shoulder, gasping for air. When his sight returned to normal (or near normal) he found himself in an unfamiliar hallway. He stopped to think; did he go up the stairs? Did he go down? Did he even come across a pair of stairs at all?

Footsteps at the end of the hall alarmed him and he stood up at once, looking for a door. He spotted one a few strides away and dashed to it, hoping that it would be unlocked.

It was.

Yanking the door open, Korea slipped in and closed the door as quickly and as quietly as he could.


	20. Korea's Misfortune and Austria's Finding

"What are you doing back so soon?" a voice asked in a drawling tone.

Korea froze, realizing that he was not alone. He had his back turned on whoever was in the room and he didn't intend to turn around.

"Hmph, turn around already." another said impatiently.

Korea glanced over his shoulder and he practically died inside. On the inside, he felt like making a run for it. On the outside, he kept a calm gaze as he faced Dark Japan, Dark Hong Kong, and Dark Vietnam. Dark Japan and Dark Hong Kong were sitting on the couch inside the room (which appeared to be a lounge) with their legs crossed and a fierce look of indifference gave them a distant feel. Dark Vietnam was in one of the two armchairs with her head turned to look at Korea with the same indifferent gaze.

"I thought you were scouting." Dark Hong Kong said. "And what happened to your eyes? Or are you not who we think you are?"

Korea cocked his head a little. "Contacts." he said promptly, remembering the fake contacts that Dark Estonia had worn to fool him and the other real nations. He wasn't sure why he was pretending to be his own doppelganger, but he rather pretend than to be chased by three other doppelgangers. He knew that Japan and Vietnam can be very scary, and he also knew that Hong Kong was already gifted in kung fu; he didn't want to know how well Dark Hong Kong can be at kung fu.

"And why are you wearing them?" Dark Japan asked coolly.

"I wanted to try them out, da-ze." Korea said, shrugging as if it was nothing big. "And I'm done scouting, da-ze." He noticed that they were waiting for him to say more. He gave them a scoff like his doppelganger might do and said coldly, "We got America and Hungary, da-ze." He didn't dare mention that 'they' found him as well.

Dark Vietnam glanced at Dark Japan and Dark Hong Kong. Then she said, "Then sit. We're about to discuss something important."

Korea felt his blood chill when he came closer to the three doppelgangers. He felt their dark red eyes follow him until he sat down in the armchair opposite of Dark Vietnam. He leaned back and folded his arms. "So what?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound too rough.

Dark Vietnam eyed him. "Why do you have dirt on your clothes?" she asked quietly. But her voice was a frightening kind of quiet, almost like a threat, but not exactly.

Supressing a wild shudder, Korea said, "Like I said, America was there."

Dark Japan then spoke up. His voice was quiet like Dark Vietnam's and it had the same malevolent edge. "And so was America's hatred."

Korea gave Japan a look. "It doesn't matter, da-ze. I thought we have something important to talk about, da-ze."

Dark Hong Kong leaned forward. "We do." he said. Unlike the other two, his voice wasn't soft. "Liechtenstein's history isn't as bloody as we wanted."

Korea made himself raise an eyebrow. "And?"

Dark Vietnam clasped her hands together. "Her hatred isn't as strong as we wanted. If we get rid of her, then it's one less country to worry about."

Korea was numb. They didn't want to _eliminate_ Liechtenstein, did they? He only blinked once and said, "To get rid of a country, one will have to take the governamnt down, da-ze."

"Exactly," Dark Hong Kong said, nodding curtly. "Even if Liechtenstein's hatred is gone, our forces won't be affected. We have her with us us, like, right now. But she still has a government and she still has her people. We need to, like, get rid of them."

Korea's mind jumped in alarm. He had a feeling that he should tell Germany about this right away. However, he couldn't at the time, and so he said, "So how? Are we all going out there, da-ze?"

Dark Japan folded his arms, his dark red eyes scanning Dark Hong Kong, Dark Vietnam, and Korea's faces. "No, just one of us." he said. "Hong Kong's hatred, are you free?"

Dark Hong Kong's eyes flickered to Dark Japan. "I, like, have to get more weapons for the others." he said. Korea wondered who the 'others' were but that was the least of his worries at the moment.

Dark Japan then turned to Dark Vietnam. "What about you? Are you free?"

Dark Vietnam crossed her legs and gave Dark Japan a cool look. "I'm busy this week. However..." Dark Vietnam glanced at Korea. "South Korea's hatred isn't. South Korea's hatred, you'll have to kill Liechtenstein's people, eliminate her government, and deal the final blow to her."

Dark Vietnam looked at Korea expectantly, her red eyes gleaming in the light. Korea glanced over at Dark Japan and Dark Hong Kong to see them looking at him. The longer he held his silence, the narrower Dark Japan's eyes became. "Why so hesitant?" Dark Japan asked in a low voice, giving Korea a glare.

Korea cleared his throat casually. "Well, I think it's a waste of a hatred, da-ze. Liechtenstein's hatred can grow."

Dark Hong Kong sneered, "There isn't time for her to grow."

Korea stared at him blankly as Dark Japan said, "Have you forgotten? We only have a few weeks."

Korea nearly asked 'Until what?' but thought better of it. He knew by the way they looked at him that they were already suspicious. Asking 'Until what?' would only raise the suspicion.

"Tomorrow then." Dark Vietnam said briskly. She stood up and brushed the imaginary dirt off of her. "You know what to do. There are missiles and explosives for you-"

"Wait Vietnam's hatred." Dark Japan said, stopping her. He got to his feet and glanced down at Korea. "He hasn't agreed yet. South Korea's hatred, will you kill Liechtenstein?"

Dark Japan, Dark Hong Kong, and Dark Vietnam waited for Korea to do something. Korea returned their looks with annoyance even though he was far more concerned and worried. If he made a run for it now, they'd surely catch him. If he agreed...

"Yes," he heard himself say in a low tone. "I will kill Liechtenstein."

* * *

><p>Prussia glanced at his rough hands. His skin was caked with mud and dirt but he had grown accustomed to them. Though it had been a couple of days, probably a week by now, he had worked hard to try to get out of the cell he was put in by some Germany look-a-like. He knew that Italy was in the cell next to him but lately Italy was a little more quieter than usual.<p>

Prussia sighed and picked up the plastic spoon again. It had been his friend for the last past week. It was what tool he had used to dig a hole-now about six feet deep-and the Germany look-a-like didn't even know any better!

There were times where Italy would ask him what he was doing but Prussia only answered, "It's a secret!"

His yellow companion, (Gilbird as some liked to call it) was perched in a cage above his cell where he couldn't reach him. Prussia glanced up at his companion and groaned. If only he could find a way to get up there and free his friend. Maybe he'd try to throw the spoon after he finished digging, but that probably wouldn't work seeing that the spoon was plastic.

He went to the corner of his cell and pulled his cot away from the corner. When the cot was pushed aside, it revealed a hole big enough for a human (or a country that looked like a human) to fit in to. Prussia planned to dig a hole out for himself and come back with better equipment to rescue Italy and Gilbird. He wasn't sure when exactly that would happen but he truly hoped that it would be soon.

"Ve, Prussia?" Italy asked from the other cell. "What are you doing?"

"It's a secret!" Prussia called out from his hole.

"Um..."

Prussia sighed. "Look, trust me, it's going to be awesome. It's my plan and if it's from the awesome me, the plan's awesome. Now shut up and go to sleep!"

"Ve? But it's not nighttime."

"How do you know?"

"I have a window. It's afternoon."

Prussia froze. How come _he_ didn't have a window? "Damnit, even that West look-a-like likes Italy better." Prussia sighed wearily. Shaking his head, he continued to dig.

"Prussia?" Italy called again.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Are you digging a hole?"

"What of it?"

"Umm..." Italy sounded unsure. "A hole that leads down?"

"Well obviously. And it's a pretty damn awesome hole too." Prussia growled. "Now shut up! I'm trying to save us all."

Prussia heard Italy grip the iron bars of his cell. Unlike Italy, Prussia had thicker bars and they were somehow electrified. He had a red welt on the palms of his hand the second he was thrown into the cell; from then on he tried to avoid going by the cell doors as much as possible.

"How deep is the hole, ve?" Italy asked.

"Six feet." Prussia said proudly. "Pretty awesome, am I right?"

He heard Italy exclaim in disbelief. "I know, I know. It wasn't easy but I did it in a week with a plastic spoon." Prussia grinned.

"No, Prussia! We're already underground!" Italy wailed. "You could have dug a foot or two and then dig to the side. Then you could have dug upward."

Prussia ceased his digging and stared up through the hole, his eyes glued firmly on the ceiling.

"Prussia?"

"You mean..." Prussia said slowly. "That I dug this deep for nothing? _Nothing_?"

Italy sounded nervous. "Prussia, it's okay. The deeper the safer, right?"

* * *

><p>Austria sighed when the city of Berlin was evacuated. It was the last city on his list. He knew that Taiwan and Norway were somewhere in Germany and they should be finishing their evacuation as well. In fact, Austria was sure that after he was done with Berlin (which he was) he'd be able to go help evacuate his own country. He knew that Ireland and Romania were there but he couldn't help but go monitor the evacuation process.<p>

He was on his way back to Germany's house, which wasn't too far away from Berlin, when he heard a peculiar sound. It was like a yell or a shout. He wondered who could make such a sound in the middle of an evacuated city and decided to ignore it, assuming it was some stray animal that closely imitated a human.

Only, as he walked down the street he heard another shout, and it was angrier. This time, he coud make out the words. "_Are you kidding me? Are you effin' kidding me?_"

Austria cleared his throat and glanced around the streets. It was empty, and yet he could have sworn he heard someone.

"_Ve, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'll let you dig! I'll let you dig! Ve!_"

Austria perked. He knew that voice. It was Italy! And the other one must be Prussia. Austria sighed heavily. Of course it was Prussia; who else could it be? As the shouts continued, Austria searched the streets for the source. At first he wandered around the street, pausing for the shouts to start again and seeing if he was getting closer or farther. When he found that the west side of the street was closer than the east, he started to step into the alleyways and listen.

"Okay, I can still do this." Prussia's voice said shakily as if he was trying not to shout again. "I can still get us out. It's been delayed but this plan will be even more awesomer than the last, okay Italy?"

Yup, that was Prussia. And the fact that he adressed Italy made it clear that Italy was indeed with him.

"Okay Prussia. Be careful!"

Austria smiled when he caught a glimpse of the top of Italy's head when he glanced down near his feet. There was a small window that showed the top of Italy's head several feet down.

Austria was certain that he found them and he reached up to contact Japan back at headquarters. He heard Japan say his usual, "This is Japan, is there something you need?"

"Japan," Austria said in a business like tone. "I believe I found Italy and Prussia."


	21. Rescue in Berlin

Japan left Malaysia in charge for a while; he had to look for Germany. Japan knew that Germany would want to know that Italy and Prussia were located somewhere in Berlin (according to where Austria's tracker was).

Racing through the halls, Japan peered into Germany's living room and smiled with relief when he saw the German man sitting in his armchair with a beer bottle in hand. Germany was listening to Cameroon and New Zealand talk, looking somewhat distant. Japan knocked the on the wall gently, making the three countries glance up at him.

"Germany," Japan said. "Austria has found Italy and Prussia."

Germany stared at him and then at his empty beer bottle. "Am I already drunk?" he murmured.

Cameroon laughed and clapped Germany on the back. "Come on, let's go see what happened."

Japan led the three countries back to the conference room and over to the monitors. Malaysia slipped out of the chair and handed Japan the headset back. Japan thanked Malaysia with a small bow and sat back down. "Austria?" he asked into the microphone. "Are you still there?"

"Why of course." Austria said. "What do you want me to do Japan?"

Japan looked up at Germany, who was staring at the monitor. "Austria is right here." Japan said, pointing at the screen. "What do you want him to do?"

Germany blinked, still trying to comprehend what was going on. Japan turned to New Zealand. "How many bottles of beer has he drunken?"

New Zealand exchanged looks with Cameroon. "I think this is his fourth. He's not drunk yet but leaning towards it."

Japan didn't feel like he should let an almost drunk Germany take over and so Japan said into the microphone, "Austria, please wait there. I will send a few people over. Thank you very much for your service."

"How long will I stand around here?" Austria asked.

"Well, I suppose it will be at least half an hour."

Japan heard a loud sigh. "I see. Well please hurry. Do you want me to get Italy and Prussia's attention then?"

Japan thought it through in his head. Perhaps it would be a good thing for Italy and Prussia to know that they aren't doomed at all, and that they have a friend near by. "Yes, please do."

He disconnected with Austria and looked at the nations crowded around him. "Germany, please go rest." Japan said calmly. "Malaysia, Cameroon, and New Zealand, will you go to Austria and help rescue Italy and Prussia?"

"Japan…" Germany coughed. "How can I rest knowing that those two are found?"

"It will do you good to know that they are in safe hands."

"Eventually they will, but not now." Germany said slowly. Germany sat down in a chair next to Japan and leaned his head into his hand. He muttered something about a migraine and Japan gave Cameroon a concerned look. "Will you take Germany to rest, Cameroon?" he asked.

Cameroon nodded. "Sure. Come on, let's go."

Germany opened his mouth to retort back angrily but stopped and held his head again, gritting his teeth. "Fine." he muttered. "Let's go."

Within an hour Japan had sent Cameroon, New Zealand, and Malaysia to Berlin in order to help Austria free Italy and Prussia. Berlin wasn't far so the three had walked. It was strange, walking in the silence when normally the streets would be noisy and swarmed with people. Of course, they had to get used to the fact that everyone was in a safe place; or well, the people that were not infected that is. The people who were 'touched' by hatred were locked up and under the supervision of several different armies.

Japan guided them through Berlin and when they found Austria smoothing out his sleeve, Japan bid them good luck and disconnected with them.

"About time," Austria said in a matter of fact tone. "I was getting tired. Come on, let's free these three."

"Three?" New Zealand asked. "I thought it was Italy and Prussia."

Austria raised an eyebrow. "Turns out that France is here as well."

"France? Where?" Malaysia crouched down by the window of Italy's cell and peered in. He saw Italy jump up and wave brightly but he didn't see Prussia or France.

"Ciao! Ciao!" Italy called through the window.

Malaysia grinned and waved back. "So, can this window open?" he asked, glancing behind his shoulder.

"Of course not." Austria said. "If it was that simple they'd be gone by now."

"But the window looks very high up for them." Malaysia said, holding a hand over his eyes to block the sun out. "And even if it isn't high up only Italy can escape. Italy! Where are the others?"

Italy gazed blankly at Malaysia and then pointed to his left. "Prussia's over there. He's trying to dig a hole out, ve."

"And France?" Cameroon asked, kneeling by Malaysia.

Italy pointed to his right. "France is all the way at the end of the hall. I didn't know he was here. I think he can't talk."

"What? What do you mean he can't talk?" Malaysia asked.

Italy fiddled with his thumbs. "Ve…he doesn't say anything other than 'mmmm' and 'hmph'."

Cameroon tapped his chin thoughtfully. "He's probably gagged. Okay then. Let's go find a way inside."

Austria piped up. "I already found a way when I walked around a few minutes after I called Japan. Come. It's over here."

New Zealand reached out to stop Austria. "Wait, is it safe? It isn't a trap, is it?"

Austria adjusted his glasses. "Of course it isn't."

"And how do you know?"

"I tested it. I went down there and it was all fine." Austria said. "Please follow." He led the three deeper into the alleyway and stopped by a faded red door. He pulled out a handkerchief and placed it over the doorknob and turned it, oblivious to the strange looks that were sent to him.

The door opened and a wave of cool musty air greeted them with a slight feeling of hostility. Malaysia and Cameroon exchanged uncertain looks and New Zealand scrunched up his nose. "I know, I know." Austria said with a sigh. "And it's rather moist down there as well."

Austria led them into the narrow dirt hallway. There were a few windows that let sunlight stream in, but other than the sunlight the hall was dimly lit.

They reached the first cell and peered in. France was in the corner, his head leaning on the wall with a white cloth tied between his teeth. France lifted his head when he saw them and his eyes brightened. "Mmm!" He performed a mix of a barrel roll and the worm to get to the bars of the cell.

Malaysia cracked his knuckles. "I'll get France out. You guys go ahead." Austria continued down the hall and Cameroon and New Zealand shimmied past Malaysia to get by.

Malaysia inxpoected the lock on the cell carefully and then he reached out to grab a hold of the bar. He retracted his hands with a sharp gasp and stared at the red welts the bars had left on the palms of his hands. "Electrified?" he muttered.

Austria heard Malaysia gasp and he turned his head, pausing for a little bit. When he saw that Malaysia was safe and in one piece, he continued on. They reached Italy's cell seven cells down from France's. Italy jumped up to the cell bars and grasped them without the bars shocking him. He smiled at them. "Austria! Cameroon! New Zealand! I'm so glad to see you all! Is Big Brother okay? Is Germany okay? Oh, and is Japan okay? And-"

"They're all fine, they're all fine." Austria said calmly. "Prussia is...over there, you say?"

Italy nodded enthusiastically. "Hey, hey, Austria, when we get back, can we stop by for pasta? It's been a whole week since I've eaten pasta! Pasta, pasta, pasta!" Italy started to sing the word 'pasta' in many different notes. Austria cringed when Italy sounded too sharp or too flat.

"Italy," Austria scolded. "Please stay with one key signature. You start to sing a C Major scale and then you sing F Sharp! F..._sharp_!"

"Austria, New Zealand and I are going to go free Prussia, okay?" Cameroon said, clearing his throat. "Come on..." he added to New Zealand.

The two squeezed by Austria (who was too busy lecturing Italy about how the C Major scale had no sharps or flats). Prussia's cell was empty to their surprise; although when they peered into the corner they saw specks of dirt flying out of a hole in the ground. "Prussia?" New Zealand called.

The dirt was still but they heard someone starting to climb. Seconds later, Prussia poked his head from the ground and shook the dirt from his hair. "What's up?"

"What are you doing?" Cameroon asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Prussia asked, giving them a look as if it should be obvious.

"You're digging your own grave?" Cameroon mused.

Prussia waved his comment away. "You know what, forget you. I'm saving my ass right now. Go save Italy or France. I'll meet you guys outside. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm in the middle of digging my awesome hole with my awesome plastic spoon. Oh, wait, hold on." Prussia glanced up at the birdcage where Gilbird was perched in. "If you can save my bird that'll be awesome too."

* * *

><p>America breathed out a sigh when Dark America left. To be honest, he was seething on the inside. It had taken all of his self control to keep a smile on his face. The second the last of the five inch iron doors were closed and locked up, his smile immediately faltered.<p>

Gritting his teeth, America pulled himself back into a sitting position and glanced around at the floor. His vision still blurried, he tried to find a hint that would lead him to his glasses, even though he probably wouldn't be able to pick them up anyway. He tried to find a glint of light that might have suggested where his glasses were but all he saw was the floor stained in his own blood.

"Okay, well, no problem." he said to himself, trying to revert back to his old cheerful self. "I got this. This is just a straitjacket dude, you got this." America squirmed in his jacket but they refused to give him up. Sighing, he got to his feet and squinted around the room. Other than c ot in the corner, there was a small air vent on the other side of the room. Maybe if he could try to cut the straitjacket by using the edges as a saw...

"That'll take forever." America whined. "Aw, forget it. I think I'll just go to sleep."

Only, sleep didn't come easy for him. His nose kept him up; every other minute he felt like it would start bleeding again. It was also rather hard to get comfortable when knowing that the fate of the world rested in your hands. Well, technically, part of the world's fate rested in his hands. He also got worried about Korea and Hungary and what they might be up to.

He perked his head when he heard the doors of his cell start to open. He actually hoped it was Dark America; maybe he could get some sympthaty from him and have him take the straitjacket off. Maybe Dark America would even help him find his glasses.

America laughed at thought of his doppelganger helping him. "What was it that Canada said?" America mused to himself. "Don't chase them in the shadow? Wait for them to come in the sun? Are there any hidden messages in that at all? If only I didn't skip England's literature class when I was little..."

"America." a voice said grimly.

America grinned. "Korea? Is that you?" he asked. But then he frowned. "Or are you Dark Korea? I can't really tell."

America listened carefully as the doors slammed shut, leaving the echoes to bounce around the room. "Listen, da-ze." Korea said in a hushed voice. "Somehow I got them to think I'm Dark Korea-"

"Dude, that's so cool!"

"Shhhh!" Korea sounded anxious. "They want me to kill Liechtenstein, da-ze."

America blinked at the blurry face of Korea. "You have to...kill Liechtenstein...?"

"What do I do, da-ze?" Korea hissed.

America blinked. "Well first you can help me find my glasses."

Korea left America's cot and returned a few seconds later. Korea frowned at America's blood stained glasses and wiped the blood off of them with the blanket on the cot. Then he reached forward and placed the glasses back on to America's face. "Better, da-ze?"

"Yeah, thanks." America struggled to sit up. Korea helped him up. "Thanks again. So, let me get this straight. You pretended you are Dark Korea...and how did that happen?"

"Well I was with Dark Aniki and then I made a run for it, da-ze." Korea said. "And then I hide in some room but Dark Japan, Dark Hong Kong, and Dark Vietnam were there-"

America responded by letting out a low whistle. Korea gave him a tired look. "I know, da-ze. And I learned that they're gathering weapons and stuff. I don't know what for but I can try to find out, da-ze. But anyway, they said that Liechtenstein's history isn't as bloody as they wanted and they said that if they killed her, it would be one less country to worry about and her doppelganger won't affect their strength, da-ze."

America sighed heavily. "Okay, I get it now. Are they going to go kill her people and government or are you?"

"Me."

"And when are you going?"

"Tomorrow, da-ze."

America bit his lip. "And are you?"

"That's what I'm asking you, da-ze!" Korea exclaimed in exasperation. "If I don't I can't get any more Intelligence and they'll be after me. If I do then we lose Liechtenstein and Switzerland will be after me forever, and Switzerland can get scary, da-ze."

"Can't you stall?"

"How?" Korea demanded.

America bit the insides of his cheek thoughtfully. "I have a plan, and a pretty cool one too. Wanna hear it?" he added mischievously.

Korea couldn't help but grin back at America. "What's the plan, da-ze?"


	22. Setting up the Plan

Korea casually walked into the lounge where he first ran into Dark Japan, Dark Hong Kong, and Dark Vietnam. Only, Dark Hong Kong was the only one in there and he was sitting on the couch bent over with a laptop. He didn't look up when Korea walked in. Instead, he only said, "Where were you?"

"What?" Korea asked. "Did you need me for something, da-ze?"

Finally, Dark Hong Kong glanced up at him. He watched Korea get himself a cup of coffee at the coffee machine before answering, "Belarus's hatred wanted you to help her handle Russia."

Korea didn't even know that Dark Belarus was there; he had heard a couple of stories about her from China who had heard them from Russia and he probably heard one too many stories about her. But he didn't let the new information register on his face and he only took a brief small sip of his coffee. "Can't she do it herself?" Korea asked.

Dark Hong Kong's eyes flickered to him and Korea had a mini heart attack; he thought that maybe that was the wrong thing to say but he relaxed when Dark Hong Kong said, "That's what I thought too but I guess she couldn't. You weren't anywhere to be found so China's hatred helped her."

"Hmm, I see, da-ze. Well, I'm here right now. Anything for me to do, da-ze?"

"Have you, like, figured out a way to get rid of Liechtenstein?"

Korea scoffed. "What do you mean, da-ze? All I have to do is get rid of her people and government and then shoot her, right? Not that difficult to think up of a plan, da-ze."

Dark Hong Kong lowered his gaze back to his laptop. "Whatever works for you. Here, come over here."

Korea allowed a faint display of interest show as he circled around the couch and leaned against the back, peering over Dark Hong Kong's shoulder. On the monitor of the laptop was a map of Germany's house and blue dots shifting around in it. "Let me guess," Korea said. "Those blue dots represent the people inside Germany's house right now, right, da-ze?"

"Exactly." Dark Hong Kong said. "Estonia's hatred planted trackers that could be picked up on their computers and ours."

Korea froze. He remembered that Dark Estonia had placed a tracker on his collar the day the doppelgangers broke out. As naturally as he could, Korea raised a hand to his collar, pretending to adjust it. His fingers brushed over the place where his tracker was supposed to be and was immensely relieved to find that his tracker was gone. Dark America had probably removed them to prevent the others back at Germany's house to know where the hideout really was.

"Well that's useful but so what?" Korea asked.

Dark Hong Kong glanced at the date on the laptop. "May 22nd is in three weeks."

"_No_, _really? I had no idea_." Korea said in a sarcastic tone.

Dark Hong Kong gave him a sly smile. "Just a reminder. I was afraid you've forgotten that we'll be taking over their headquarters that day. When we seize their control center we can finally take over them."

Korea attempted a grin. "Can't wait until then, da-ze. Is everything ready yet?" Korea hoped that he could get more information by asking questions that didn't give him away.

Dark Hong Kong crossed his arms and sighed wearily. "We should have been but unfortunately they're starting to find more and more countries that we've locked up. Right now they've, like, found Prussia, France, and Italy."

Luckily, Dark Hong Kong was facing away from Korea; Korea couldn't help but flash a small smile. He was relieved to hear that Germany and the others have found the three. But even so there were many more nations out there who were missing. Maybe Korea could find out where _they_ were while he was sneaking around pretending to be his doppelganger.

America had said that it would be risky for him to be around the hideout like that; "Dude, what if the real doppelganger came back, huh?" America had asked.

"Well, if that happened, then we're in trouble, da-ze."

That failed to reassure America but Korea wasn't particularly worried about his doppelganger; he reasoned that he had some time and well, he was leaving for Europe the next day so even if they did find out that he was a fake, he would only head right back to Germany and get back up.

"Whatever dude," America had told him. "But uh, before you go, you don't mind finding me some food, do you? I'm famished."

"So that's why we're sending him over there." Dark Hong Kong was saying. "South Korea's hatred, are you like, listening?"

"No, not at all. You bore me, da-ze."

Dark Hong Kong gave him an irritated look. "Well you know, if you're that bored, why don't you, like, just get out of here and get ready?"

"I already told you, da-ze." Korea said, copying Dark Hong Kong's irritable tone. "There's no need for me to get ready, da-ze."

But when Dark Hong Kong stood up to give Korea a death glare, Korea stifled a shudder and said, "But hey, I'll go check on the prisoners, da-ze."

"If that's what you're doing then give them their dinner." Dark Hong Kong scowled, sitting back down in annoyance.

Korea was wondering where to get their food when he went back down to the cells. He heard an odd buzzing sound when he entered the hallway where he saw Hungary get thrown in. "Oh, that's where." he murmured to himself when he spotted a cart at the end of the hall. On the cart were four plates, each with a card beside them with a name.

"Korea!" a voice hissed as he passed by the fourth cell.

Korea slowed to a stop and glanced at Hungary, who neared the electrified bar cells.

"Shhh," Korea held a finger to his lips, shooting glances up and down the hall. "Be quiet!"

Hungary gave him an irritated look. "I called for you when you came down here last time to check up on America. What happened to him? And why are you not captured?"

"Shhh!" Korea hushed her again, only more fiercely. "Be quiet, da-ze!" he whispered hurriedly. "Look, I went to America for advice-"

Hungary clamped her mouth shut with her hand, trying not to laugh uproariously and Korea grinned ruefully. "I know, da-ze. But listen, I can't go to you since, well, it's not pleasant for our little Liechtenstein to hear, if you get what I'm saying, da-ze." He peeked at a sleeping Liechtenstein in the corner of the cell. Even though she had her eyes closed and was breathing slower than usual, he couldn't say anything in case if she was feigning sleep, and feigning sleep was an easy thing to do.

"Alright, fair enough." Hungary said nervously, glancing back at Liechtenstein. She wondered what news Korea had that wouldn't be pleasant for Liechtenstein. Was it too cruel for someone as sweet as her to hear? Was it something that would scar her? Hungary decided not to ask anything about it. "So what did America say?"

"He has a plan," Korea said in a low voice. "But I have to let you know, I fooled the doppelgangers here by pretending to be Dark Korea, da-ze."

"Let me guess, you told them you had contacts, right?" Hungary asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It was kinda obvious, da-ze." Korea said, giving her a shrug. "But anyway, I'll be gone for a couple of days, just to let you know."

Hungary nodded.

Korea took a deep breath. "Alright, well, I was worrying over how I could get you out of the cell but well, I got a solution, da-ze. I have to feed you today and there's got to be a way to get the food in without getting...electrocuted, da-ze."

Hungary's eyes brightened. "You're letting us free? But what about you? We can't leave you here-"

"I'm not letting you _free_." Korea said, rolling his eyes and placing his hands on his hips. "That will leave the doppelgangers to suspect me, da-ze. I have a reputation you know."

Hungary's eyes dulled again. "So what _are_ you doing?"

"Giving you the key, da-ze."

Hungary gritted her teeth impatiently. "Won't the doppelgangers miss the key? And if you give me the key, how can I unlock the door from the inside, huh?"

"They have spares." Korea said. "Can't you reach through the bars without getting electrocuted, da-ze?"

"Why don't you try it out?" Hungary asked challengingly.

Korea hesitated but he shrugged. "As long as you stay five feet away from the bars, da-ze."

"Why?"

"Because I'm afraid you're going to bump into me and shock me, da-ze."

Hungary laughed. "I _would_ do that just for fun. Alright, I'll go." She scooted away from the bar and watched with fascination as Korea reached into the cell slowly, his hand trembling a little. The bars were roughly three inches away from each other, so Hungary assumed that slipping a hand through the bars wouldn't be a challenge. However, trying to fit a key into the keyhole and unlocking the door might be.

But Korea didn't stick around to test it out; he pulled his hand away and dashed over to the food cart and brought back two plates of Chinese food ("Aha!" Korea had exclaimed. "I was right, da-ze! Dark Aniki cooks too!").

Hungary woke up Liechtenstein for dinner as Korea shut off the electricity (while balancing the plates of food on his right arm like an expert) by pushing a button on the wall a foot away from the first bar of the cell. The electricity turned off and they could safely touch the bars. Korea unlocked the cell with his free arm and lowered the arm with the food down so that Hungary could take them off of him.

"Do they expect us to eat without hands?" Hungary exclaimed when Korea gave them no utensils.

Korea shrugged. "Well, on the bright side, the chicken doesn't have a lot of sauce. Now you won't get sticky hands, da-ze."

Hungary sighed. "Oh well. Oh, but hey, when will I get to use this?" She held up the key.

Liechtenstein's eyes widened in shock. "We can escape," she whispered incredulously.

"When America gives you the signal, then you can escape, da-ze." Korea answered.

"And how is America going to escape from a five inch iron door, hm?"

"Actually, three five inch iron doors." Korea corrected her.

Hungary gave Korea an exasperated look. "Well that makes things a _lot_ better, doesn't it?"

"Actually, da-ze, it doesn't-"

"I was being sarcastic."

"And I knew that, da-ze."

Hungary shook her head and said, "Whatever you say. So...just to sum things up...you'll be gone for a few days and somehow, America will get free and give us a signal to use this key. Then what? Don't tell me that's all I do!"

Korea gave her a small laugh. "Yeah, that's about it, da-ze."

Hungary resisted the urge to punch him. Holding down her good punching arm, she said sweetly, "I see...so then what are you and America doing?"

Korea uneasily stepped away from her. He slipped back outside of the cell and shut the door, turning the electricity back on. "I'm..." He glanced at Liechtenstein, who was watching him back. "I'm on a top secret mission, da-ze. America was in a straitjacket but I freed him. He's going to escape by tricking Dark America, da-ze. I'm not too sure how but he said that if that fails then we move on to Plan B, da-ze."

Hungary frowned. "What's Plan B?"

"I don't know, da-ze." After seeing Hungary's distraught face, Korea added, "But don't worry, da-ze! There are twenty four more other letters in the English alphabet-I think- so there's plenty of other names for other plans, da-ze."

"That...doesn't make me feel better."

Korea shrugged. "Oh well, da-ze. Not my fault it doesn't make you feel better. Well, see you later, maybe, da-ze." He left their sight and continued down the hall to find the food cart. Pushing it along the hallway, he turned the corner and traveled all the way near the end.

Picking up America's plate, Korea went up to a number-pad and punched in the password that was given to him on the back of America's name card near the plate.

The first iron door slid open to the right and the second slid open to the left. Then the last iron door swung open. "America!" Korea called, walking in. "I'm-"

"Falcon _punch_!"

Korea dropped the plate as he was lifted out of the air by a strong fist aiming at his stomach.

"Hollywood Spartan Kick!"

Korea barely had the time to block a 'Spartan Kick' from the American movie '300'. The kick was very strong and his hands that had blocked the kick throbbed and moaned.

"George Washington's..." Korea hissed in alarm. How many times did he have to go through with this? "Cherry. Tree. CHOP!" America had 'chopped' Korea in the stomach, his words dictated with each blow.

"Stop, stop, da-ze!" Korea scowled, stumbling backwards while wiping a small trickle of blood from his mouth. "You idiot, are you trying to kill me, da-ze?"

America halted his attack and laughed. "Oh, it's only you!"

"What do you _mean_ it's only me, da-ze? Didn't you notice who you were attacking when you first saw me, da-ze?"

America cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. "Ah, well, I had to make sure you're the real Korea and not the doppelganger. You um, _are_ the real one, right?"

Korea shot America a weary look. "Yeah, I'm the real one, da-ze. Look what you made me do! I dropped Dark Aniki's food, da-ze! No dinner for you..."

America scrunched up his nose and crouched down by the shattered plate, poking at the food with his index finger. "Oh well. I was in the mood for Mexican anyway." America shrugged. "So what's up?"

Korea held a hand tentatively to his stomach. "Well you just jumped me, da-ze." Korea groaned.

America gave Korea an apologetic grin. "Sorry 'bout that. But like, no seriously, is Hungary aware of the plan?"

"Yeah, I told her. But are you sure you can escape?"

America laughed. "Of course! But if that doesn't work out then we'll go to Plan B!"

"That's what I told Hungary, da-ze." Korea said. "But that exactly is it, da-ze?"

America thought it over. "Hug every doppelganger we see and hope that they'll melt away from the kindness?"

Korea groaned. "That's only in movies, da-ze."

"Yeah, and darker versions of people coming to life is also in movies too." America retorted. "Besides, I'm still a bit hungry. You think you can sneak me some ice cream before you leave?"

Korea shook his head as he left the cell. "Forget it, da-ze. You can always ask the doppelganger that feeds you tomorrow, da-ze."

As he locked America back up by pushing a 'lock' button on the number-pad (because the number-pad also had other buttons that weren't numbers), Korea pushed the cart to the next gigantic cell, muttering how painful America's fists were.

Opening the doors to Russia's cell, Korea could feel a slight change in atmosphere. Somehow, he felt like the mood had gone from painful to scary and cold. He hesitated before entering Russia's cell.

"Hello, da-ze? Russia, are you here, da-ze?" Korea called.

Then he stopped, staring at Russia in the middle of the cell. The Russian man had a straitjacket just like America, but he was also bound in place by long, thick chains that wrapped around his limbs and torso. Russia slowly looked up at Korea, his eyes clear of any warmth that he usually had (which was always the 'scary' kind of warmth).

Korea whistled. "And I thought the doppelganger's aura was bad...Hi Russia, da-ze! Long time no see, right, da-ze?"

Russia said nothing. His cold, hungry eyes locked on Korea. Shifting, Korea wondered how Russia was supposed to eat if he was all chained up.

"I'll feed you then, da-ze." Korea declared, nearing him. And then he realized that there were no chopsticks. He could always use his hands to feed him...

_I'll only get my fingers bitten off, da-ze..._ Korea thought weakly.

"Ahaha...on second thought, what if I let you free from the chains and straitjacket, huh? You'd like to move around, right, da-ze?"

Russia said nothing.

Anxious to get out of there, Korea undid the straitjacket. He couldn't find a way to break the chains but it didn't seem to slow Russia down; the moment the straitjacket was off, Russia yanked at the chains and within minutes he had broken a few of them. He was still bound to the spot but he could move his arms and hands.

"Glad to see you're moving, kinda, da-ze." Korea smiled. "Well, I'll be seeing you. And no, I'm not Dark Korea. I mean, well, 'South Korea's hatred' you might know him as. I'm the real one but uh, don't blow my cover, da-ze, okay?"

He didn't stick around to see if Russia had an answer. He left the cell at once and locked it back up. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the food cart back to where he found it.

* * *

><p>"Well what do you know," Cameroon mused. "There was a switch not too far away to turn off the electricity in the bars. Who knew?"<p>

When New Zealand had wandered around the area to see if there were any doppelgangers lingering around, he had found a switch and dared to switch it off. When that happened, Cameroon and Malaysia no longer heard the faint buzz of the bars and tested to the see if the electricity really was off, which it was.

Cameroon and Malaysia were able to bend the bars back wide enough for them to slip by; Cameroon and New Zealand went into Prussia's cell and tried to brainstorm a way to free Gilbird while Malaysia slipped into France's cell and ungagged him.

France, it turned out, had a lot to say; so much that the reason why he was gagged in the first place was to prevent him from spreading word.

"But even if you did spread the word to Italy and Prussia, who would they spread that word to?" Malaysia asked.

France sighed. "Well Austria came here and Italy could talk to him."

"True. So what do you have to say?"

France squirmed; other than being gagged, his hands and feet were tied together with rope. As Malaysia freed him, France said, "Oh it was horrible, I tell you! I was simply enjoying my breakfast of croissants and coffee and then this...this..._thing_ that impersonated me came in and attacked _moi_!"

France grimaced as his hands were freed; the rope had left burns on his skin and he rubbed it tenderly. "And he stabbed me in the leg." France added. Shaking his head, he struggled to stand after his feet were free. France stumbled a little but Malaysia caught him and helped him out of the cell.

"Then you were brought here?" Malaysia asked.

"Not exactly, mon ami." France said gravely.

As he and Malaysia made their way back to Austria and the others, Austria had Cameroon bend the bars of Italy's cell, freeing Italy. Cameroon went back to Prussia's cell with New Zealand, who was trying to see if the walls were scalable.

"So what happened?" Malaysia asked, helping France sit down next to Austria and Italy.

France sighed irritably as he brushed off dirt from his soiled clothes. "I got a lot of information from that wannabe. It doesn't make sense but..."

"It's okay." Malaysia said quickly. "Just tell us."

France eyed them, yawning heavily. "Well...maybe after a nap-"

"No, no naps." Austria snapped impatiently.

France whined, "Awww, Austria, why must you be so mean to me?"

"France..." Malaysia said in an urging tone.

France clicked his tongue and folded his arms. "Well that wannabe said something about transferring me to Chicago and how that they're getting most of their weapons transported there from China and North Korea or something. I don't know, I'm tired, take me home."

Austria and Malaysia gaped at France. "Wait, say that again." Malaysia urged.

"Chicago, transfer, weapons from China and North Korea." France said haughtily and impatiently.

Austria frowned. "Why would they want weapons? Do they plan to attack us?"

"Who? What _are_ they?" France asked.

"Our physical hatred." Malaysia answered for Austria, who was calling Japan again. He explained to France everything he knew and France had paled when he heard that people all over the globe were transformed into these unstable hate-powered humans.

"We're leaving to go back to Germany's house, _now_." Austria said sharply after he reached Japan. "Cameroon, New Zealand, do you have the bird yet?"

New Zealand slipped out of the cell with a small birdcage in hand. "Got it. We climbed the wall. Cameroon fell a couple of times so I climbed onto his shoulders and tried from there. Are we ready to go?"

"Where's Prussia?" Malaysia asked.

"He said he'll be waiting for us outside." Cameroon said, hissing as he bumped one of his new bruises. "Let's get out of here. Italy, whose doppelgangers are around here?"

Italy looked nervously around them. "Umm, umm, there's Canada's, Australia's, and mine...I think there's one more but I can't remember!"

"That's not too bad. Let's just hope we don't run into them anyway. Let's go, let's go!" Malaysia said hastily, heaving France over his shoulder.

The six of them hustled down the narrow hall and out the door and into the fresh crisp air. They were relieved to see a hole big enough for someone like Prussia at the end of the alleyway ("Digging up is easier than digging down." New Zealand said.). "Great, now where is he?" Cameroon asked as they burst out onto the streets.

"_You guys!_" Prussia's voice called. It came from behind them.

Austria turned his head around, expecting to face a gloating Prussia, bragging about how he escaped by himself. "Stop yelling and- oh dear."

"What's wro-oh...that's what's wrong..." New Zealand said nervously.

Malaysia and Cameroon glanced behind them and a groan escaped their lips. France and Italy merely stared.

There were two Prussias standing before them, both of them exactly alike. Both had identical expressions of alarm, red eyes wide with bewilderment. The real Prussia's eyes were red, and the doppelgangers were known to have red eyes, and that meant that they could not distinguish the difference between the real one from the doppelganger.


	23. Back Up and Two Awesome Nations

Korea left the Guangzhou hideout and was sent off by Dark Japan, who watched him leave until he was out of sight and around the corner.

As far as Korea knew, the plan was that he would head to Europe. However, instead of stopping by Liechtenstein, he would go back to headquarters and hopefully get some help. America had said that he would give Korea three days and then he would break out of his cell ("And you better be there with back up or else." America had said, grinning.). Korea's role was to be a messenger for the time being and get help.

"We really need to ask for help a lot, don't we, da-ze?" Korea muttered under his breath as he crossed into India.

The walk back to Germany's was pretty long, even for a country. Although it wasn't as long as if regular people walked it (Korea didn't even think normal people could actually make it), it had taken Korea a full five hours to walk all the way back. He sincerely wished he had found out where Dark America had put their confiscated car keys so that he could drive all the way back, which would only take about an hour and a half to get back to Germany's house.

Once he got to Germany's house, he trudged his way back to the conference room. "Hey, Japan, da-ze!" he called wearily.

Only, Japan wasn't at the computers. Vietnam turned her head slightly to acknowledge Korea. "I'm sorry, but I'm not Japan." she said quietly. She was still bandaged up but it was apparent that she was able to continue her work at the computers. A handful of other nations were in the conference room with her but not one of them was Japan.

Korea decided it would have to do. Slipping into a chair next to her, he groaned about how his feet hurt and how long the trip was. But most importantly, he told Vietnam and anyone who would listen about his story and the situation he was in.

When he mentioned Russia, Belarus (who was a couple feet away from him) overheard and demanded Korea where he was.

Korea opened his mouth to tell her but Vietnam gave him a fierce look and shook her head 'no'. "Finish first," she said.

It took Korea a couple of seconds to get it; if he told Belarus, she'd dash over to Guangzhou and recklessly look for Russia. But something about Belarus made Korea wonder if she could really last in there by herself, but then shook his head when he remembered how many doppelgangers were there in the first place, and not to mention Belarus's own doppelganger as well.

At the end of his story, Vietnam immediately called for Japan, who was in the kitchen making dinner for the ones back at headquarters. Korea had momentarily forgotten the grim situation when Japan stepped into the conference room with an apron. He had to bite down on his tongue to prevent from laughing like an idiot.

"Japan, can you make new trackers for everyone?" Vietnam asked.

"Well, of course, but why?" Japan asked, glancing from Vietnam to Korea, who grinned maniacally at Japan's apron.

"Dark Estonia's trackers send signals to the doppelganger's computers." Vietnam said gravely.

Japan understood right away. "I see. Is that all?"

Vietnam thought over it. "If I think of anything I'll tell you. I think Germany should know of this as well, but he's in bed right now-"

"Is he sick, da-ze?" Korea asked.

"Beer," Vietnam replied stiffly.

"Ohh...da-ze."

Japan left the conference room and Vietnam left the computers to find Switzerland to tell him about Liechtenstein's whereabouts (his tracker told her that he was somewhere in the library). Korea peeked at the computer screens and glanced around the room.

Belarus was glaring at him for not telling her where Russia was; Korea would have guessed that she'd pounce on him if it wasn't for Ukraine holding her back while cheerfully making small talk, even though it was all one-sided.

Japan returned after ten minutes with a food cart and naturally, the countries in there swarmed around the cart, taking a plate of their choice. Korea appreciated the thought that Japan made kimchi for him; it had been a while since he last had kimchi. He felt energized and ready to go back to Guangzhou after the meal, but when he thought about it, he would rather sleep first and _then_ go back.

Japan noticed this and said that he should go ahead and sleep.

And that's what Korea did.

He only meant to sleep for a couple of hours so that's why he was stunned and alarmed when he woke up to an early morning. He leaped out of bed and dashed to the conference room. Bursting through the double doors, he shot glances around like crazy, wondering what time it was. Was it six in the morning? Seven? Eight? He honestly had no idea, but even so, he knew that the day before counted as 'Day One'. There were only two more days left until America would break out; in order for America to escape the hideout completely with everyone else was if Korea came back with back up, and if there was no Korea and no back up, then they would be in trouble.

But apparently Germany must have recovered from his migraine ("I was not drunk," he said roughly. "I only had a headache. I was still sober.") and heard the story from Vietnam. Korea was greeted by a group that consisted of Japan, Denmark (he had been found and was fully recovered), Switzerland (he was outraged by the fact that the doppelgangers planned to get rid of his little sister), Belarus (she was there for Russia and that was that), and Hong Kong (who knew the Guangzhou area pretty well seeing that he was right next door to the city.)

"We still have another day but let's go to China today and then go to Guangzhou the third day." Japan said thoughtfully.

"When all of the nations have escaped, then you must destroy that hideout." Germany growled. "Blow it up if you must, but don't you dare make a mess."

"I wonder if the doppelgangers will blow up with the hideout..." Denmark mused. "Awww, but Finland said that they'd heal. Never mind."

"You're going to blow the hideout up, da-ze?" Korea asked excitedly. "I want to watch! Who's going to do it? Can I? I really want to, da-ze."

Germany coughed into his fist. "Is your military ready then?"

Korea clicked his tongue impatiently. "Well no, I just now learned of the plan, da-ze. Silly you."

Korea scooted out of the way from Germany's range just in case he pulled the German's man last straw, and even though Korea knew that Germany didn't drink his beer with a straw, he knew that taking Germany's last straw was not a good thing.

But Germany didn't snap; instead, he placed a hand over his face while gritting his teeth. Vietnam gave Korea a weary look and he knew that she was asking him telepathically to go contact his military to make arrangements.

Springing to his feet, Korea saluted everyone in the room dutifully and said, "Leave everything to me, da-ze! Besides, escape plans originated in Korea, da-ze."

"Just go." Germany snapped.

* * *

><p>America hoped that Korea had gotten back to Germany's safely. It had been exactly three hours and four minutes (and twenty-three seconds...now twenty-four) since Korea had last stopped by to announce that he was leaving (not that America counted the time go by-okay, yes, he did). To be honest, he was starting to have second thoughts on whether he really could escape.<p>

"Of course I can, I'm the hero." America laughed to himself, but his laugh faltered after a second when another wave of doubt hit him. "But there's more than one hero." he said, trying to reassure himself using Canada's words. "If I fail I can count on the others, right?"

But even if he could there was still Russia. Korea said that Russia was bound up, but America hoped that Russia could find a way to free himself; he knew that Russia was a tough nation. "Well, maybe 'tough' is an understatement..." he mused to himself.

America glanced up at the doors as he heard the first two doors slide aside. The third door opened and America held his breath, wondering if it was Dark America again.

It wasn't.

It was Dark Vietnam.

She gave him a loathing glare and America flinched nervously. He had a feeling that it was her turn to get a crack at raising his hatred level, and he knew exactly what she was going to talk about.

Dark Vietnam walked up to America, her red eyes examining him. "You're not in your straitjacket." she said in a low voice.

America shook his head. "No," he said quietly.

Dark Vietnam's dark eyes pierced his. "I see." she whispered.

And then she moved. America took a step back in alarm, spinning around to watch her slip behind him. That was a mistake; she caught him in a headlock and forced him to the ground. America was mercilessly slammed to the cement and he felt his glasses fall off again as well as his teeth sinking into the insides of his mouth. Blood flowed out of his mouth and he spat it out, only to have more blood flow back in.

Though America was face down, he could tell that Dark Vietnam was enjoying his suffering. He could feel her eyes pierce holes into the back of his head and he suppressed a shudder.

"America's hatred has been here a few times, am I correct?" she asked, amused.

America couldn't say anything; instead he spat out another mouthful of crimson blood.

Dark Vietnam smirked. "My turn."

* * *

><p>Austria groaned and didn't bother to do so in an aristocratic way. "Two of them?" he asked furiously. "To think that one was troublesome but two...<em>two<em>!"

"Hey Austria," Cameroon said. "Which is more annoying? Two Prussias or Italy's intonation?"

Austria scoffed. "What intonation? I think wrong notes are still rather irritating-"

"I'm sorry Austria!" Italy cried quickly.

"But two Prussias is even worse." Austria finished, sending the Prussias a tiresome look.

"Hey!" the two Prussias snapped. "I'm just too awesome for you!"

"Oh great, they even say things simultaneously." Austria groaned.

The Prussia on the left pointed to the one on the right and said loudly, "Do you really think he looks like me?" the Left Prussia asked furiously. "No one, and I mean NO ONE, can imitate my awesomeness."

"Are you kidding me?" the Right Prussia scoffed, batting away Left Prussia's arm. "Your awesomeness? It's mine you bastard."

Austria looked between the two griping at each other. The real one had been digging a tunnel underground so Austria tried to find any speck of dirt on who he hoped to be the real Prussia but to his dismay, the Prussia doppelganger must have known the real one was underground because both of them were filthy; they both had streaks of mud across their skin and their clothes even mirrored the other.

"Gilbird, can you find the right one?" New Zealand asked the small yellow bird in the cage.

Gilbird tweeted once and hopped down from its perch in the cage. New Zealand bent the small bars back and Gilbird flew out, hovering over both Prussias.

Both Left and Right Prussia glanced up at the bird and reached out towards it, cooing. "Come here Gilbird, I'm the real one." they both said. Then they looked at each other and growled, "No, I'M the real one!"

But the others still had their eyes on Gilbird. Gilbird circled around both Prussias for a while and then returned to New Zealand, perching on his head while cocking his head in confusion. New Zealand sighed. "Not even _he_ can tell the difference."

"So now what?" Cameroon asked. "We can't just take both of them to Germany's; we'd be leading the doppelganger to the others."

"Yeah but he'd know Germany's house already." Malaysia said pointedly. "If we weren't here he could have already gone in the first place."

New Zealand reached up to his ear piece nervously. "Why don't we call Japan?" he asked in a low voice so that neither Prussias could hear him.

"Go on then." Austria said.

Only, Japan wasn't the one who answered. New Zealand was greeted by Vietnam. "Oh, Vietnam." he said in surprise. "You're feeling better?"

"Better than before." she said. "Uh, what's going on?"

And so New Zealand explained the situation about the two Prussias and how they weren't able to tell them apart. As he told their side of the story, the Prussias were trying to convince the others that they were the original.

When New Zealand stopped talking to listen to Vietnam, he walked towards the two Prussias while nodding. "I see, okay then. Thank you."

"What did Japan say?" asked Cameroon.

"Japan wasn't there. Vietnam was." New Zealand said casually. He reached both Prussias and cracked his knuckles. "Let's see here..." he eyed them both carefully.

Both Prussias stared blankly at him. "What are you doing?" they asked indignantly.

"Please don't take this too seriously." New Zealand said.

"What-" Both of the Prussias were cut off as soon as New Zealand slammed his fists into both Prussias' faces. They stumbled backwards, a giant red swelling spot finding a new home on their faces.

Malaysia and Cameroon exchanged excited glances as Italy cried out in alarm. "Whichever one heals immediately is the doppelganger." Cameroon said.

Everyone watched as the Prussias sent an angry glare at New Zealand, who backtracked back to the group. Then they watched the red, swelled up area on Right Prussia's cheek disappear within seconds.

"You." Cameroon said to Right Prussia, drawing his gun. He wasn't sure exactly how strong Dark Prussia would be but he figured that with the real Prussia with them, it shouldn't be to hard.

"What about me?" Dark Prussia asked, wiping the smeared dirt from his face. "Are you all here to praise my awesomeness? That'd be great, you know...it's been a while since I've been recognized as a nation..."

The real Prussia shot a nasty look to his doppelganger. "Hey, listen you! _I'm _the awesome one, not you. Now why don't you just go back to where you came from, huh?"

Austria sent Prussia a cool gaze. "If you think about it, that is a very stupid question."

"Veeee..." Italy glanced back and forth between Prussia and Dark Prussia. "So...what do we do now?"

Cameroon looked at Italy. Sizing him up, Cameroon said, "Flee, Italy. Run back to Germany's house. I bet they're all waiting for some people to return. We'll handle things here."

Italy looked bewildered. "Wha-? No, no! I can't leave by myself! What if they catch me again?"

France chuckled weakly. "With your speed I highly doubt that..."

Italy latched onto Cameroon's arms and tugged at it like a child would do to a mother. "But, but, what if something bad happens here?"

"Like hell I'd let that happen!" Prussia shouted angrily. He ducked out of Dark Prussia's grip and swept his leg underneath Dark Prussia. Dark Prussia jumped into the air and dodged it. Dark Prussia landed lightly on his toes and lunged to tackle Prussia. As the two tumbled to the ground, Cameroon and New Zealand rushed forward to help but Prussia growled at them ferociously not to help. "This is my damn fight so leave, damnit!"

But they didn't leave. Not all of them; Malaysia was arguing briefly with New Zealand that he should stay but New Zealand mentioned that France should get treated right away. Malaysia realized that he was right and also convinced Italy go return to Germany's.

Italy sent several nervous glances back behind his shoulder as they fled the scene, leaving Austria, Cameroon, and New Zealand to stand there helplessly as Prussia and Dark Prussia fought. They couldn't tell who was winning; they lost track of who was who. One of them, whether it was the real or fake, was severely injured while the other barely scratched.

For the first time, Austria sincerely hoped that Prussia would win.


	24. A Grim Situation

It was early afternoon when arrangements were planned out by Korea and his military. Korea was pleased that his military was still optimistic about things and that his people were coming together to support those who were out there and help those who were infected by hate, as Japan had said. Korea was proud that his people were helping each other out, but of course, everyone else was doing that as well. But that was a good thing and it was definitely nothing to complain about; the more help the better. People were still dying and thousands of cities, big and small, had already fallen or left to crumble.

Korea felt depressed when he stopped by to watch the news a bit. It only took a couple of minutes to deplete his high energy level. The tears, the cries, the angry faces, and now revolts were occurring everywhere. "Why are they rebelling, da-ze?" Korea asked Germany, who was watching with him.

Germany looked grim. "They feel that we, as countries, aren't doing a good job with keeping order and they want our bosses to take over instead of us."

"What? But we're older than any of them, da-ze." Korea exclaimed. "We have experience and stuff, da-ze!"

Germany lowered his eyes. "And it's because of us the doppelgangers appeared."

"But they only exist because our bosses pressure us into violence, da-ze!" Korea argued.

"Do they? Or is it also part of our want for whatever we want as well?"

Korea felt like he lost that debate; he had to agree that he had taken interest in what his bosses tell him and blood was spilled partly because of his want. All the countries were like that; there never seemed to be a war or fight without a strong sense of want and greed.

Before long, some countries left the conference room to search for phones so that they could call their government and try to calm their people down. Korea tore his eyes away from the computers that broadcasted news from around the world and went to the foyer of Germany's house to wait for his team. Switzerland was already there, ready to go. Korea eyed him curiously and asked why he was bring so many guns if they won't do a single thing to the doppelgangers who could simply heal.

"They'll heal," Switzerland said. "But physical effects still apply, like flinching or stopping when hit."

"Oh, so like they're diversions, da-ze?"

"You can say that."

Belarus arrived with Denmark and Japan after her tail. Denmark was cheerfully chatting away as Japan listened politely. When Denmark asked Belarus a question, she scowled at him and threatened to slit his throat if he bothered her again. Denmark laughed. "Well it's good to see that you're acting normal."

Korea scanned their faces. "Where's Hong Kong, da-ze?" he asked.

"I'm, like, right here." Hong Kong said, entering the foyer from the living room. "Is everyone ready?"

Belarus headed towards the door. "Let's go find Big Brother Russia first." she declared.

"Hey, we have to wait until the third day for America." Denmark said.

"He's right." Switzerland said, crossing his arms. "We can't just go in a day early."

Belarus turned to glare at them. But she gritted her teeth and agreed. "Fine, but when it's time I'm going to go find Russia whether any of you are coming with me or not."

* * *

><p>America stared at the ceiling dully. It was a long half hour, and even though a half hour was pretty short, it felt like a century. Before, Dark America had made him feel inferior to a fragment of him very self, but Dark Vietnam wasn't a part of him. She was a part of Vietnam, and she made him feel like trash.<p>

"No..." America said thickly. "'Trash' is an understatement..."

He surprised himself as a tear ran down his bloodstained face. Narrowing his eyes, he blinked the other tears welling up in his eyes away and tightened his fists. Then he forced himself to relax and to not build up any more anger or hate. Hate. What effect does that word have now? Just weeks ago people use that term so lightly that it was laughable by now. America realized that he had forgotten the true meaning of hate, and even if he was confronted by the physical forms of hatred itself, he felt like he hasn't confronted it truly; he felt like that doppelgangers held much of it back, else he would be ripped to shreds.

He had to wonder though; if they were physical forms of hatred, why didn't they turn on each other? Why didn't they turn on the country's hatred that they used to (or still do) hate? Have they realized that working together is the only way to go, even though they have to hold back their full power in order to cooperate or are they secretly devising plans behind everyone's backs?

So much to think about and yet America had a huge migraine. His migraine originated from the three times Dark Vietnam had slammed his head around; once when she pinned him down, another when he dared to say that he genuinely wanted to help end the war, and the last time just for good measure.

And still it seemed like she held back some of her hatred in, just like Dark America.

Those two were a pain, literally. He hoped that there weren't any other doppelgangers out there to try to torment him.

America groaned. Thinking wasn't doing his throbbing head any good. Instead of staring at the wall, he reached for his glasses and examined them. One of the lenses were cracked, but it wasn't shattered. He folded them up, placed it beside him, turned onto his side as gently and slowly as he could, and closed his eyes.

* * *

><p>Germany and England watched as Korea, Japan, Switzerland, Denmark, Belarus, and Hong Kong leave the house from the windows of the conference room. England had healed as well ("I still have magic in me after all," he claimed when Germany asked how he recovered so quickly. England also claimed that he was the reason why Vietnam also healed quickly. When Germany asked him about Canada, England had frozen and muttered something about going back to the hospital.) and he had spent the morning and early afternoon rearranging the chalkboard, even though Germany said it wasn't necessary.<p>

"So much has happened, huh?" England murmured, redrawing Japan's ear. "How are the people?"

"Whose?" Germany asked.

"Everyone's."

Germany hesitated. "Not good. Some are helping each other, some are rebelling, and some are dying still. There are so many fights between everyone. It's madness."

England stopped drawing Australia's smile to glance at Germany. Then he asked, "Why don't we have some of us go and watch over the people?"

"We're already short on people as it is." Germany replied. "Some are still evacuating, many are out scouting and searching. About a few dozens are still missing."

There was a silence, save for the keys being tapped in a rapid succession from Vietnam. She was busy looking after Korea and his group, scanning their trail ahead to see if there was any advantage they could take to get to Guangzhou faster and searched up escape routes in case something happened along the way.

Germany glanced back to the chalkboard and studied it. His eyes landed on England's name, which England had written 'Present' next to his name. And next to that was 'Dark England', whose status remained 'Unknown'. "No one knows where yours is, right?" Germany asked.

England ceased his drawing and slowly lowered his stick of chalk. He turned his body to the side and gave Germany an indifferent look. "No one, and I don't bloody care if he's found or not."

Germany stared at England; he even heard Vietnam behind him stop typing and he imagined that she too glanced up at him. "How can you say something like that with the history you have?" Germany asked in a low voice.

England stiffly turned back around and said, "If he isn't to be found then so be it. As long as he's not troublesome we'll be okay."

"In the state we're in we won't be okay, whether Dark England is around or not." Vietnam interrupted. "The longer this goes on, the more impatient the people become and then what will happen? More violence. All of this is happening even if he isn't-"

"But if he were then it would be bloody worse, wouldn't it?" England snapped.

Vietnam looked somewhat taken aback but then said coldly, "Then please excuse me for my opinion."

Germany looked between them and gritted his teeth for the umpteenth time that week. It seemed as if the hatred had passed on to them. _What am I thinking? Hate has always been with us. Perhaps everyone is getting more anxious because of the revolts._ Germany thought hastily.

"Vietnam, I'll take over." Germany said. Vietnam looked up at him, confused. "Don't worry. Just rest. You'll feel much better if you rest. You too, England. Take a break from this."

As expected, they started to retort back and protest but Germany put on his angry face and silenced them. "Enough!" he snapped. "And I thought you two were some of the more level headed ones! Have you already lost your minds? Keep it together, _mein Gott_!"

Germany folded his arms impatiently, watching Vietnam get out of the chair so that Germany could sit in it. She glanced at England and then back at Germany before she left the conference room. England set the chalk down with an irritated sigh and left as well, but through the side doors.

Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones getting frustrated. Germany had gotten angry calls from some of the other nations about how they seem to be getting no where. Many were starting to think that they should give up working together and try to do what they want to do and focus on helping their people and their people only.

"No," Germany said as calmly as he could. "Working together is the only way! I know it's frustrating and-"

"I know, I know." Greenland was saying. Greenland sighed and said calmly, "But there are others who need some convincing, Germany. Unless we have some victories to make us strive ahead, we'll only be chasing our tails in an endless loop. Our people will suffer if that happens, and if our people suffer, then humanity will fall and we will too."

"I know..." Germany said. "I know."


	25. Breaking Free

"Day Three." Japan said, squinting at the early morning sun. "Did America say anything about what time he'd break out?"

Korea laughed nervously. "Nope, not at all."

While Japan gave Korea a stunned look, Denmark tapped his tracker on his collar curiously. "So Vietnam and the others can see where we are using these?"

"Yes," Japan said, turning his attention away from Korea and to Denmark. "I made them recently. The old ones could be seen by the enemy as well. With these trackers, however, only those back at Germany's can see us."

"It's the third day already." Belarus growled. "Let's go already."

Hong Kong pointed towards Guangzhou. "The city's just over there. I think I know where the hideout is, but I may be, like, wrong." Hong Kong had studied a map of Guangzhou before they left headquarters. He kept on second guessing himself about the hideout but Korea had convinced him that they'd follow him wherever he went ("I just think you're adding more pressure on the fellow." Denmark had laughed nervously.)

Hong Kong led the way, followed closely by Korea and the others. It was a short walk through the park, and quite literally as well. Hong Kong led them to one of the parks and circled around the trees, peering around the trunks for some odd reason. "Uh, Hong Kong? What are we doing here?" Japan asked curiously.

"Don't you, like, remember a secret chamber underneath this park? Sensei took Macao and me here all the time when we were little." Hong Kong said, feeling around the trees.

Japan and Korea exchanged glances. "I don't remember one." Japan said.

"I don't either, da-ze." Korea said in an almost whine. "How come I wasn't taken here, da-ze?"

"Hm, maybe it's just Macao and me." Hong Kong said. "Ah, here." He found a small knot on the side of the tree and jabbed at it with his thumb. The knot backed up into the tree and everyone but Hong Kong took a step back in alarm as the tree tumbled over as if half of the bottom was on a hinge. Dirt and grass flew up as the tree slammed into the ground. When everything settled down, an underground passageway came into view right where the bottom of the tree would normally be.

"Well what do you know, it _is _on hinges." Denmark mused, crouching down to point at the metal hinges.

"Hong Kong, that was a loud entrance." Switzerland said. "Don't you think that _they'd_ hear?"

"Then we should get going."

* * *

><p>America had the past two days to recover. Luckily no other doppelganger had came into his cell other than Dark China who was normally the one who fed the prisoners. Dark China, like Dark Vietnam, was curious as to why he wasn't in his straitjacket. However, America heard him mutter something about Dark America possibly wanting a wider variation, whatever that might have meant. America had wondered if Dark America was going to show up on the third day, but he figured that he could always trick Dark China instead of Dark America.<p>

But when lunch came around (America had stayed in the cell long enough to remember when it was 'Food Time'), Dark China didn't linger around him like he would normally do. America was surprised that Dark China popped in without a haughty sneer or a rude remark as an attempt to anger him. America was used to the insults and learned to tune them out. Instead of thinking about what Dark China said and brood, he preferred to think to some random time in his head and reminisce on the good old days. It worked 98% of the time.

Dark China wasn't alone when he arrived. America heard several footsteps run past his cell as Dark China yelled down the hall, "Find them and find them NOW, aru!"

America got to his feet and raced towards Dark China; Plan A required him to get Dark America away from the cell doors and close them so that Dark America was trapped in with him. America had figured that Dark America would find a way out so that he could join his doppelganger buddies. To be honest, America thought that Dark America would punch a hole through the walls so that both of them could get out; it was highly unlikely and America didn't tell Korea about that thought but he had to admit, that would be pretty cool.

Instead of _that_ plan, America saw a much more easier and likely plan and took it; America ran by Dark China, shoving him out of the way for a single second of diversion, and ran like a jackrabbit on fire.

Dark China had only been slightly pushed to the wall and was on America's trail a split second later. America groaned and wished that Dark China would have at least trip over his own feet; enhanced running was totally unfair.

A voice called out to him as he passed by a few cells. "America!" Hungary yelled after him.

Oh yeah, Korea told him to give Hungary and Liechtenstein a signal. What was the signal? "Oh yeah, I'm supposed to make it up..." America breathed under his breath. He risked to turn his head back and hollered, "SIGNAL!"

He heard Hungary yell back, "_Nooo, really?_"

But America didn't stick around to laugh. He raced up-stairs with Dark China on his trail. America gritted his teeth; he was certain that if Dark China pounced forward, he would have caught him. He wasn't sure why Dark China wasn't making a leap for it and tackle America, but maybe it was because he was so careful that he didn't want to risk it despite the odds.

Or maybe tackling was just too much work for a doppelganger as old as Dark China, no matter how stronger and enhanced he was.

America and Dark China raced up the stairs at the end of the hallway and America's heart nearly leaped out of his rib cage. Dark Belarus was coming down the stairs at the exact same moment he and Dark China were going up. If anything, America felt that Dark Belarus was even scarier than the real one, and that too was saying a lot.

There were times where one has a moment where things seemed to happen in slow motion; heart beating, adrenaline kicking in at full power, and that reckless sensation of following instinct.

America had one of those moments at that second. Dark Belarus had spotted them seconds before and literally pounced into the air in order to take America down. Dark China was within reach from behind. America's slow motion moment took over and America acted on instinct and ducked under Dark Belarus and her deadly black bladed knife. He could have sworn he saw his reflection in that knife.

And then time continued on again; America continued up the flight of stairs and Dark Belarus's knife found itself lodged into Dark China's chest. America glanced back when Dark Belarus screamed at Dark China for not tackling him and Dark China yelled as his chest healed that Dark Belarus should have stayed where she was and blocked the exit.

America couldn't help but grin as they started to take out their anger on each other; perhaps the doppelgangers weren't as perfect and cunning as he thought. They were just stubborn sticks of dynamite waiting for the right spark to ignite them, and loosing a superpower was probably one of those sparks.

By the time America reached the very top (which was about six flights up) he could still hear Dark China and Dark Belarus yell at each other but their voices rose so high that they thundered everywhere. America had glanced down to see that the landing that they were on was completely splattered with blood, but each doppelganger seemed unharmed ("Of course," America murmured.) They were stopped by Dark Japan who scolded them for arguing when they could still catch America.

Knowing that it was time to leave the drama, America left the top landing and started to run down the corridor. The commotion wasn't only at the stairs; apparently something happened that made the doppelgangers there frantic, or at least concerned. America wondered if Korea had arrived.

He couldn't help but slow down a little bit; his injuries aren't completely healed and he had already strained his body quite a bit. America took deep breaths and glanced around the hall. Down the hall he heard several shouts; he knew they weren't the back up Korea went to get. Their voices still seemed much too cold. But they why would the doppelgangers be shouting?

He knew that curiosity kills cats, but he was not a cat and went to check it out. He was going to peer around the corner, what harm could that do?

And that was how America realized what had happened.

* * *

><p>"Huh, no one's here, da-ze." Korea whispered, glancing around the hall.<p>

"So I'm assuming that this is the place, right?" Denmark asked, resting his axe across his shoulder.

"Yeah, this is the place. Great job, Hong Kong, da-ze." Korea said, sending Hong Kong a grin.

Japan frowned as the others started to walk. Being out in the open like that unnerved him. "Why don't we find another way to get around?" he asked before the others got too far ahead.

They turned around and stopped, exchanging looks. "Where would we hide?" Switzerland asked.

Belarus crossed her arms. "I have no time for this." she said curtly. "I'm going to go find Russia." And with that she left continued on.

"Wait!" Japan called out. "That's very dangerous!"

"Japan, do you know who you're talking to?" Denmark asked.

Switzerland scoffed. "But she had to have help with Dark Denmark."

Denmark looked surprised. "Whoa, when did _that_ happen?"

"Focus," Switzerland said.

Korea cleared his throat. "Switzerland and Hong Kong, go with her. I know my way around here, I got this covered, da-ze."

Neither one of them asked questions. They turned and left Japan, Denmark, and Korea in the middle of the hall and caught up with Belarus, who scowled at them for being so late.

Korea, Japan, and Denmark wandered around the hideout for a while, trying to stay discreet. Korea was very careful about the corners; he always peered both ways at least three times before continuing on timidly. Ten minutes didn't even pass until the fun began.

They heard shouts and loud booms from the floor below them. Alarmed, Japan glanced at Korea and asked, "What's going on?"

Korea gritted his teeth and ran towards the stairs. "I'm not sure but something's happening, da-ze."

Japan and Denmark followed. "Is it a good idea to go towards the sound?" Denmark asked.

"I don't know, da-ze."

"So why are we going?" Japan asked, bewildered.

The three arrived at the stairs and went onto the landing. Korea went straight to the rails and peered over and gaped. "Russia's out."


	26. A Fight Ensues

Russia didn't like the idea of being kidnapped in his house, but he didn't like it when the people who took him locked him up in a straitjacket with chains wrapped around him. He didn't like the fact that some sort of look-a-like came in from time to time to mock him. Nor did he like that an America look-a-like came in as well. There was China look-a-like too and quite a bit of others. All of them coming in really made him feel...mad. Simply...mad.

He longed to be back home, even though it was cold and snowy and not warm and filled with sunflowers like he preferred. Heck, he even missed Belarus.

That was why when Korea had taken the straitjacket off of him and broke away some of the chains, Russia took that opportunity to escape the hideout. It felt good being back, really, really good. In fact, when he finally got free of those pesky chains, he spent a few hours recovering and thinking things through. The doppelgangers rarely bothered him after a week for some reason, a reason he didn't know and had no interest in finding out; they left him alone and he was content with that. That also meant that if he broke out, they wouldn't know until the next time they checked up on him.

For some reason, they only bothered to feed him once every few days; either they didn't want him to regain strength or they were forgetful, but he highly doubted that they were.

So when he broke down the back wall of his cell (who would go through the front anyway?), he planned to find an exit and return to his country so that he could gather up his army and do something to make those strange look-a-likes pay. But of course, he thought that it would be nicer if he rested at home for a day first before making plans. It was a lot nicer if he could get a day off from coming back from such an irritating situation.

However, the back wall of the cell only led to dirt. A huge wall of brown, moist, dirt. Realizing that he was underground, he made haste to the cell doors; the impersonators surely would have heard the wall breaking. And so he broke the first wall within ten seconds. To his disappointment, there was another door. He heard footsteps above his cell accompanied by concerned voices. He wouldn't have much time left. He broke the second door and growled furiously at the third door.

The voices had gotten louder. There was barely anytime left before they would get to him; he knew that the look-a-likes had inhuman speed. Both his knuckles were red and swollen already; he felt like that they were close to bleeding. Giving the third door a glare, he slammed his right fist into the metal once...twice...three times' the charm; the steel gave in to his strength and he bent back the metal quickly to get out.

Almost immediately he was greeted by Japan's look-a-like. The Japan look-a-like had gritted his teeth when Russia spotted him and drew his katana. Unlike the real Japan, the look-a-like's blade was pure black. It gleamed dangerously and Russia even felt somewhat uneasy. Japan's look-a-like lunged and if Russia had blinked he would have been sliced into pieces. Luckily he didn't blink and avoided the attack in time. The katana was a hair's breadth from hitting Russia; the blade only sliced through the front of his scarf, the one thing that the look-a-likes allowed him to have. And now it slid off his neck and onto the ground.

Within a few minutes he had made Japan's look-a-like retreat to find a better location to fight; Russia followed him to the stairways where impersonators of China and Belarus were yelling at each other, the floor soaked with blood but neither one of them injured. Japan's look-a-like had scolded them briefly, but then turned around to face Russia. "This location is suited better to my advantage." he murmured, holding his blade out so that the tip pointed to the ceiling six floors up.

Russia couldn't hold in his anger anymore; this Japan look-a-like destroyed his beloved scarf, the scarf Ukraine gave him so long ago.

_Kol, kol, kol, kol, kol..._

Russia wanted to make sure that the already bloody floor will receive another serving of blood; he didn't care how the blood around the landing got there in the first place but he wanted to make sure that _that_ blood dousing was the appetizer and that the main course was still to come...

* * *

><p>Korea, Japan, and Denmark held their breath as Dark Japan held out his dark blade to Russia. Nothing happened; Korea assumed that they were watching each other, seeing who was to move first.<p>

"Pssst!"

Korea glanced up from the rails and spotted America on the other side of the rails, peering around a corner. Korea mouthed America's name and beckoned for him to come to them. America hesitated for a few seconds but he tip toed towards them, glancing down at the stand off. "You're actually here, bro." America said weakly.

"What do you mean 'actually', da-ze?" Korea asked. "You make it sound like I wouldn't be back, da-ze."

America grimaced as he lightly groped the top of his head. "It was a long three days."

Japan frowned when he saw the crust of dry blood clinging to America's dirty blonde hair. "Are you okay, America?"

"I could be worse, believe me." America groaned.

For some odd reason, Korea suddenly had a feeling he was forgetting something. He thought back to Hungary and Liechtenstein, wondering if they were free. "I'm going to go check up on Hungary and see if she escaped. I'll be back, da-ze."

Denmark smiled at Korea. "Just don't get into trouble, okay?"

Korea grinned at Denmark. "Have I ever gotten into trouble, da-ze?"

Denmark and America stifled a smirk and Japan raised an eyebrow at Korea.

"Ahaha...okay, forget that question, da-ze." Korea smiled. And then he slipped away, going to go find another set of stairs that would lead him down to the cells. He knew there were two sets of staircases and one of them was out of the question. He wasn't exactly sure where the second pair was at but that was what exploring was for.

And luckily, he found them them soon without running into any doppelganger. But that didn't mean that there was any danger left.

Korea cautiously descended the steps, peering over the rails whenever he made a noise that echoed. It only made his heart beat faster but his senses heightened.

Or so he thought.

When he got to the bottom of the hideout and stepped into the hallway where all the cells were at, he marveled at the damage there. Did Russia make a hole in the middle of one of those mega ultra cells? That was impressive. Korea noticed a ripped up scarf at the foot of Russia's cell and let out a low whistle. "So that's why, da-ze." He froze when he realized that his whistle and remark might have traveled to someone's ear, and that someone would most likely not be on his side.

Glancing around, he saw no one and there didn't seem to be anything around. Relieved, he bent down to pick up the remains of Russia's scarf. He ran a finger over the frayed edges and thought that maybe China could patch it up for Russia. And then he remembered their rocky relationship and thought meekly that perhaps someone else could...he heard Ukraine gave the scarf to Russia and he concluded that he should go to Ukraine after the whole mess and get her to fix it for Russia. Perhaps that way he wouldn't be a target for Russia whenever Russia picks at someone to 'become with Mother Russia...da'.

Korea's blood chilled when he heard the sound of a gun hammer click. And then he held his breath when another click came.

"Hmph, turn around already." a voice said calmly. Those words were the exact words Korea heard when he had first entered a room with Dark Japan, Dark Hong Kong, and Dark Vietnam. There was no doubt that those words were from one of them.

Korea calmly turned his head around and stared back into the serious, aloof red eyes of Dark Vietnam. She was the only one there but Korea still felt like he was outnumbered in an odd way. She pointed both her guns at him, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"You know..." she said quietly. She flexed her finger and Korea flinched but she only laughed harshly and relaxed her trigger fingers. Eyes gleaming hungrily, she continued. "We knew all along. The moment you walked in was the moment you were doomed."

"You knew, da-ze?"

"It was obvious." she murmured. "We never intended you to kill Liechtenstein. We made that up. You ended up doing exactly what we wanted you to do..."

Korea glared at Dark Vietnam. "And that was what, da-ze?" he snapped icily.

Dark Vietnam flexed her trigger fingers again, making Korea tense. "Leak false information."

"What false information, da-ze?" Korea demanded.

Dark Vietnam grinned. "Do you honestly think we are interested in taking over your headquarters? There is no benefit for us there, and if so then they aren't worth the energy."

Korea scoffed. "Then what will they do if I give them that information, da-ze? How will leaking false information benefit you, da-ze?" But deep down he had a hunch that information like that could be disastrous.

Dark Vietnam eyed Korea for a while as if she was wondering whether it was worth it to tell him. "If one learns he is going to be invaded, what do they do?" she asked. "Prepare. They'll do so much preparing that it becomes their first priority. That lifts restrictions on us, you know..."

Korea was silent. Dark Vietnam laughed. "Oh how I love that expression of yours...you're trying to keep a straight face but I know better...I know that behind that mask is fear. I can see it." Her eyes flickered past Korea and she lowered her guns and said coolly, "I believe you'll take care of him for me, South Korea's hatred."

Korea whipped his head around and found himself being held a gunpoint again, but not by Dark Vietnam, but instead his own doppelganger. Dark Korea.

Dark Korea regarded Korea with slight interest. "So you're the one who's going to blow this place up, da-ze." Dark Korea said smoothly.

_How do they know?_ Korea stared at his doppelganger.

Dark Korea and Dark Vietnam exchanged knowing looks. "You noticed that you don't have your old tracker, right?" Dark Vietnam mused. "But did you ever stop and check to see if another was placed on you? With a microphone?"

Korea tightened his fists and narrowed his eyes in distaste. "You heard, didn't you...da-ze?"

"Every word," Dark Korea confirmed softly. "Don't worry. Your efforts will not go down in vain. Yes, this place will blow up, da-ze...but however, we will not."

Dark Vietnam stepped closer to Korea and Korea cringed as she placed her hands on both of his shoulders. "What's the matter? You wanted us to be in here when this place blows up? I apologize, but that can not happen. By the time your men swoops down to destroy this place we'll all be gone. And you will too." She dug her nails into his shoulders and Korea gritted his teeth. Her nails were sharp enough to make him bleed; he was surprised they didn't break.

"That's enough Vietnam's hatred." Dark Korea mused. "Come on. Let's get out of here, da-ze."

* * *

><p>"Wait!" Hong Kong called after Belarus. "You shouldn't get too far ahead!"<p>

"Well you shouldn't get too far behind!" she snapped over her shoulder. Belarus could feel Russia's presence somewhere, and it was close by. The sounds of fighting confirmed it.

Switzerland and Hong Kong ran after her, trying to keep their footsteps light and inaudible whereas Belarus thundered down the hall. "Forget this," Switzerland scowled. "She's already making a noise. Let's just sprint from here on."

Hong Kong looked concerned about that but he nodded and they both picked up speed. Joining Belarus, they turned a corner. To their surprise, Japan, Denmark, and America were right in front of them, cautiously peering over the railings of a staircase. There was no time to react to the fact they were sprinting at full speed towards the railings; Hong Kong and Switzerland slowed down enough not to slam into the railings but rather catch themselves lightly. Belarus on the other hand felt Russia's presence even stronger than before and continued on.

"What are you _doing_?" Switzerland hissed at her while the other countries rushed to him and Hong Kong.

Belarus pushed off of the ground and jumped over the railing and onto the stairs below. Everyone rushed to the side in alarm and hissed at her to get back but the damage was done. Belarus rushed down the stairs towards Russia, Dark China, Dark Belarus, and Dark Japan. Everyone watched as Dark Belarus glanced up at her original. Without a change in expression, Dark Belarus bounded up the stairs, knife out and ready. Belarus did the same and hopped up to the railing, balancing on the rails itself. Dark Belarus did the same and they glared at each other.

"What the hell does she think she's doing?" Denmark exclaimed.

"We must help her." Japan declared.

"Dude, I'd love to...but I feel...so dizzy now. Lightheaded..." America muttered, leaning his head on the rails.

Switzerland brought out his gun and made sure it was loaded. "Then stay here." he said curtly before descending the stairs.

Japan looked at America and then at Denmark, who followed Switzerland eagerly. "Hong Kong, could you-" he started to say.

Hong Kong waved Japan away, helping America sit down. "I know. Just, like, be careful." he said urgently.

America scoffed at himself. "Damn it, if only Dark Vietnam didn't hit my head so many damn times..."

"Language." Japan said in a warning tone before he joined the brawl.

Hong Kong sighed wearily at America, who was starting to black out. His wounds on his heads were starting to reopen again and Hong Kong didn't have any bandages or first aid kits on him. Hong Kong ripped off long strips of cloth from his long sleeve and used them as temporary bandages in hopes that the bleeding would stop; the bleeding was slight but the internal injury looked pretty bad.

Down below, Russia kept on bashing Dark Japan and Dark China around; they would become deformed one second with blood running down their cracked noses or split lips but then the next they'd heal immediately. Russia found it extremely frustrating that they seemed to have an endless amount of blood in them; the floor only got slippery with the red crimson blood and yet the look-a-likes weren't stained with their blood. The blood that used to be on them seemed to vanish like their wounds.

Dark Belarus had jumped up the stairs by rails just to get to Belarus. Switzerland positioned himself near Belarus and started to aim but Belarus growled at him, "This is my fight so leave!" And with that she jumped off the railing, diving towards her doppelganger, and they collided in mid air, crashing downwards. Switzerland, Denmark, and Japan caught a glimpse of a wave of blood spewing up into the air but they weren't sure who had hit whom.

Switzerland scowled and descended again, followed by Japan who drew his katana. Denmark was crafty and jumped over the rails to land on the stairs below, similar to how Dark Belarus jumped upwards. Swinging around his axe, Denmark laughed excitedly. "Come on! Who's going to try to bring this Dane down?"


	27. Disabled Doppelganger and Returning

"Well, I don't know about you guys but...I feel like an idiot." New Zealand said, watching the Prussias fight.

"You would think that this would be more of a serious matter." Austria said. "All we're doing is stand here-well, in my case-and watch." He glanced down at New Zealand next to his right foot and then at Cameroon who was sitting down by his left.

"On the bright side, we know who is who now." Cameroon said. The three realized that the one who kept on getting beaten up was the doppelganger because his wounds kept on healing blow after blow; the real Prussia was magically untouched.

Or, at least, not mortally wounded.

"Prussia must be stronger than his hatred." Austria said. "I'm not sure if that's a good thing..."

"Why of course it is." New Zealand said, smiling. "He's winning."

"You mean he's tying everything up." Cameroon said gravely. "He may not be hurt now but he'll run out of energy. Japan said that doppelgangers have more endurance than us, so even though Prussia may be beating his doppelganger, let's see how he fares within a few minutes."

Austria sniffed. "Minutes? We've been here for ten already and the man shows no sign of fatigue."

The three continued to watch the Prussias battle out. Cameroon was essentially right about Prussia losing energy within a few more minutes. Weary, Prussia failed to duck under Dark Prussia's fist and he was sent flying across the street.

Cameroon and New Zealand sprung up to their feet in alarm and Austria's calm face switched to match Cameroon and New Zealand's. Dark Prussia was infuriated. He snarled something that the three couldn't catch and grabbed a hold of a streetlamp, snapping it in half. "You can't be stronger than me!" he snarled, lunging forward with the broken streetlamp as if he was planning to smash Prussia with it.

"Won't he die if that happens?" New Zealand exclaimed, running forward with Cameroon to stop Dark Prussia.

"I don't know and I don't intend to!" Cameroon growled.

They both rushed ahead and grabbed an arm of Dark Prussia before he could swing. Dark Prussia managed to fling New Zealand a few feet away but Cameroon held on tightly. With his free hand, he hastily held up the barrel of his gun, not caring where the bullet will hit as long as it hit only Dark Prussia, and shot once.

Dark Prussia's blood stained the street but the wound closed up at once. However, it got him to stop walking towards Prussia, who was holding his heavily bleeding head, and glared at Cameroon. "Let go."

"Do you think I'd let go because you told me to?"

"Do you think I'd stop fighting because you're holding me back?"

"Let him go, Cameroon!" Prussia yelled, standing up. "I told you...this is my fight. Don't worry about me."

Cameroon angrily shouted, "You'll get nowhere if you continue by yourself, damnit Prussia, _listen to me_!"

"No!" Prussia snarled. "You listen to _me_! This _thing_ is mine and I'll get rid of it."

"You can never get rid of me with that sort of attitude." Dark Prussia sneered. He shook off Cameroon by thrusting his arm away and Cameroon flew off, landing on the hard street on his side.

Dazed, he struggled to sit while Dark Prussia swooped over the real Prussia and prepared to swing down, a hungry, truly evil gleam in his bright red eyes.

But the streetlamp never hit Prussia.

Cameroon blinked in confusion; the streetlamp somehow went spinning out of control on the street before the wall of a building stopped its vertigo. Dark Prussia was pinned up against the wall (Cameroon could tell because the Prussia pinning him down had the wound, and that wound wasn't closing up). Even from ten feet away, Cameroon could see that Dark Prussia was shaking with anger and (obvious) loathe. The real one smirked and jeered, "About time I teach you a lesson. You see, I think 'hatred' is a pretty damn strong emotion. But...well, come on. 'Awesomeness' is much more awesome."

Prussia glanced at New Zealand, who approached him, and said, "You have something long and sharp?"

Austria shook his head wearily by the time the four were ready to go back to Germany's house. "You are very messy compared to your brother."

"Yeah well Germany's the neat freak, not me." Prussia laughed, clapping Austria on the back so hard that Austria nearly fell forward.

"It's so cruel though." New Zealand said, looking back at Dark Prussia.

Dark Prussia was still pinned to the wall, but instead of Prussia there holding him, a long silver sword protruded from Dark Prussia's neck and held him to the building. Prussia smirked again. "Let's see that wound of yours close up, eh?"

Dark Prussia hissed several things at Prussia, but they didn't know what; the sword must have prevented him from making any sounds with his vocal chords.

"Ah well, I'm not him so it's all good." Prussia said.

"But he's you...sorta." Cameroon muttered.

Prussia shrugged and led the way back to his younger brother's house. "He's me, but I'm not him. That's all that matters. Hey, you guys think we can stop for beer? I haven't had any for a week."

"You're just like Italy." Austria scoffed.

"Yeah, maybe. But no, seriously, I need my beer."

* * *

><p>"We can't keep this up!" Japan yelled towards Switzerland.<p>

"You don't think I don't know that?" he asked roughly, aiming at Dark China. He shot his gun before Dark China could get to him and Dark China stumbled back where the bullet his his shoulder but picked up speed again when the wound healed.

All of their clothes were soiled with blood, and there seemed to be no end. Russia had already broken quite a few walls and railings with his little 'main course' ("What main course? The blood for the floor?" Japan murmured.).

Denmark had started out eager and enthusiastic but after five frustrating minutes on the landing, he began to see why fighting a doppelganger was so difficult.

"You weren't kiddin'." he muttered to Japan.

"I don't think I usually do." Japan said back, ducking under Dark China's fist. He coughed up blood when Dark China's other fist hit him in the stomach and he was flung back. He hit the wall (one of the walls Russia didn't break) headfirst and felt like he would get knocked out any second. Before Dark China could land another one of his horribly fast and strong punches, Denmark swung his axe and successfully chopped off Dark China's hand.

It was gruesome to watch Dark China's red fountain cease as new bones sprouted and tissues and muscle wrapped around the stump. The blood then stopped running altogether and new flesh extended out from the flesh still attached to him.

Dark China grew a new hand.

And his old hand was still on the ground, covered by red.

Denmark didn't think he'd see anything like that outside of movies; the sight of Dark China's regeneration made him glad he didn't eat anything before the fight.

Above them was Belarus and Dark Belarus, fighting on the rails and landings above the rest of the fight. Using her surroundings to her advantage, Dark Belarus stabbed through the rails and caught Belarus in the side.

Belarus hissed furiously as Dark Belarus twisted the knife with a demon like smile. "How does it feel to be at the other end of your knife?" she whispered. "Do you hate me?"

"I'll cut your head off!" Belarus screamed, lunging towards Dark Belarus.

Dark Belarus jumped out of the way and laughed. It was chilling and cold; it even made countries and doppelgangers alike glance up momentarily. "I'm glad you want to!"

Back and forth they went; making a stab there, deflecting another here, and once in a while a little knife throwing here. Belarus followed her instincts and stepped to the side. As she did, Dark Belarus' black blade flew through the air, missing Belarus's face but instead, sliced off long silver locks of her hair.

The blade imbedded itself into the wall. The blade could not be seen; Belarus only saw the hilt.

Or, at least, part of it.

"Big mistake," Belarus snapped, lunging towards her doppelganger.

Dark Belarus saw it coming and sidestepped Belarus, pushing her knife-arm away so quickly with such force that she disarmed her original. Belarus' knife, in turn, flew to the other wall (another wall Russia did not destroy) and fixed itself in it. The only difference was that roughly an inch of the blade could still be seen.

Then Dark Belarus rammed into her original, knocking her off her feet. The rail where they were at was broken due to earlier skirmishes and left a gaping hole where someone the size of Belarus (or two in this case) could easily slip right through and plummet three stories down.

Dark Belarus held onto Belarus tightly, making sure that she could not get away, and ran towards the gaping hole in the rail and jumped off.

Belarus tensed for a split second and screamed out, "RUSSIA!"

Russia looked away from his opponent who was already being taken care of by Switzerland, and shoved away anyone, fellow nation and doppelganger alike, so that he could fix himself right below the two Belaruses.

Dark Belarus saw this opportunity to damage both nations and took it with a smile. She threw the real Belarus off course from Russia by flinging her down fast towards Denmark's axe and then she positioned herself so that she could land on Russia's head in hopes of giving him a concussion.

Japan sprinted towards Russia in alarm, anticipating what Dark Belarus was up to, and shoved Russia away and took Dark Belarus's drop kick instead.

The real Belarus yelled at Denmark right before she could land on his honed axe. Denmark heard her in time and turned his axe around the opposite way. He didn't think that she would be coming from above and she collided right into him.

"Idiot!" she scowled at Denmark, grimacing when her wounds began to stung her. "You should have caught me."

Denmark was bewildered. "Then you should have told me you were in the air."

"Who has time for that? If only I had my knife I'd cut off your-" Belarus growled.

But Denmark wasn't paying attention to her anymore; he spotted Dark Japan coming towards them and swung his axe when Japan's doppelganger was in range.

"My axe is getting heavy..." he panted. Looking around, he added wearily, "Japan is down, Russia's still making a mess, and Switzerland's getting tired too. We have to get out of here. Russia!" Denmark called.

Russia snapped his attention to Denmark and Denmark shuddered at the intensity of his look; even without the red eyes, Russia could have passed as a doppelganger right then and there.

"We need to go, _now_!" Denmark yelled. As Belarus half limped, half ran to Russia, Denmark turned to find Switzerland and yelled for him to get out of the hideout.

"Is Hong Kong and America ready to go?" Switzerland asked, shooting Dark Belarus in the neck.

"We'll see." Denmark huffed. Russia carried Japan and Belarus up, Denmark right behind them followed by Switzerland who was supposed to blast away any doppelganger that didn't want to let them escape.

Only, they let them go. The doppelgangers glared at them furiously, the last of their wounds healing, and then they descended the stairs hastily.

"What was that about?" Switzerland muttered to Denmark.

"I've no idea. Come on, let's go. Korea should be back by now, right?" Denmark asked.

"Korea?" Hong Kong repeated blankly when they all got to the top. "He isn't back yet."

"Well now what?" Switzerland asked. "America and Japan probably have concussions. We're all dripping with blood; I can't tell if I'm bleeding or not. And now Korea isn't back yet?"

"Korea? Oh, you shouldn't worry about him." America said.

Everyone glanced down at him, surprised. "Is he awake?" Denmark asked, prodding America's arm gently with his foot.

America laughed, but at the same time, he didn't. It was America's voice that did, not America himself. "Again I'm mistaken for my original?" Dark America laughed. "Look right here." He pointed to his red eyes. "See the difference? Of course not, the man's got his eyes closed, silly me."

Russia put both Japan and Belarus down gently. Belarus stepped back when she was put on the ground and leaned against the wall for support. Russia then turned to face Dark America and cracked his knuckles, giving Dark America a pleasant smile. "Hello there." Russia said. "Would you like a beating or would you like to leave us alone?"

Dark America's smile left his face and he suddenly showed concern at Russia. "Of course...you, out of the others, _would_ be the one to step up to fight me first."

"I didn't say I was going to fight you." Russia said, still smiling pleasantly. "I gave you two options."

"Neither of which I will choose out of recklessness." Dark America said coolly.

Denmark glanced at Switzerland. "Is it just me or are all the doppelgangers more formal?"

"I suppose..." Switzerland murmured.

Russia's smile widened. "So are you letting us go?"

Dark America gave Russia a small, amused, grin. "I don't know...if I do, then we lose one of the superpowers. That's not very favorable."

"Am I important to you? That's very nice to hear." Russia beamed coldly.

Dark America raised an eyebrow. "To the others, yeah. Me, I'm indifferent. Apparently..." Dark America glanced at the real America. "Quality is good, but quantity is slightly more important. Some of the others don't think so." He paused to scoff. "But you know, I don't care what they think. As long as we get the job done, it's good. How many of you are here? One, two, three, four..." He continued on silently. "Seven." he concluded.

"I'm glad that you can count." Russia said.

Dark America decided to laugh at his remark. "Yes, yes, I'm very well educated." He glanced around and sighed, "Well, this place won't be around for long, will it?"

"What do you mean?" Russia asked.

"Big Brother," Belarus said from behind. Russia didn't turn around; it would be risky to when a doppelganger like Dark America was right in front of you. "The hideout is going to be blown up soon."

Russia nodded. "Okay, I see now. So, we're on our way. Shouldn't you be leaving too? Is that why the others left?"

"Basically? Yeah. But I want to tag along with you guys, get to know you, have a little fun..." Dark America smirked.

"Yeah, right." the same voice said. But Dark America didn't say anything and the voice came from behind Russia.

America was up on his feet, giving his doppelganger a determined look.

"Oh hey, what's up?" Dark America greeted America calmly. "Did you have any good dreams? The other day I dreamed that I took over all of the fast food restaurants in the world."

"As much as I'd love to say that's pretty cool, I'm not here for you." America said, trying not to show interest in Dark America's dream.

"Then what are you here for?"

America looked away from his doppelganger, glancing down at his feet. Taking a deep breath, he walked forward towards Russia.

"America, what are you-" Switzerland started to say. His voice faded when America clapped Russia on the shoulder, giving Russia a tentative smile.

"I'm sorry." America said quietly. "I'm sorry about everything I've done that hurt you. It's hard being a country, and you know that too, right? Well, I'm still kinda new..uh..." He glanced around, scratching the back of his head while avoiding his wound. "Kinda awkward..." America murmured. "But uh, well, I'm really sorry and I hope we'll become better friends...I mean, well, we got the nuclear arms control treaty and everything but I feel like I still owe an apology."

Russia looked surprised. Dark America looked alarmed. "What do you think you're doing?" Dark America demanded.

America ignored his doppelganger.

Russia raised his hand and America flinched a little as if expecting a blow from Russia. But instead, Russia placed a hand on America and gave him a genuine smile, not one of those scary smiles. "I think I have to apologize to you too." he said. "I'm sorry America."

It was America's turn to look surprised. Then he grinned and said excitedly, "Alright! From now on, we're going to be best buds! Hey, our first goal will to get _everyone_ to join and we can all be best buds! Won't that be awesome or what? Genius plan? I think so."

Russia had always wanted everyone to join him and become one with him, but it was a surprise to have America come out and actually say that they would be 'best buds'. That feeling of finally having a friend, not just a comrade but a true friend, had arrived and Russia liked the warmth. The warmth that his home lacked.

It was nice.

Maybe he and America could be friends after all.

"Yeah...let's do that."

Dark America coughed up blood, drawing everyone's attention to him. He cursed shakily, doubling up. More blood splattered onto the ground and he held out a shaky hand to catch the blood dripping from his chin. "What is this?" he whispered.

"Ah, I didn't do too good in Anatomy but I think that's blood dude." America said.

Dark America glanced up at America and for once he had a dumbstruck look. He glanced at Russia, who was still smiling, and scowled. And then at once, he turned to the stairs and descended quickly, leaving them alone.

"Okay...what just happened?" Denmark asked, breaking the silence that followed.

"We have to get out and find Korea. I'll contact Vietnam and, like, ask if she can find him." Hong Kong said quickly.

"Good idea." America said, grinning. "Oh, Russia. There's something I've always wanted to ask you but I've been too um, busy."

"What is it?"

America laughed. "Can I ride on your shoulders? I've always wanted to see what it's like up there."

Russia picked America up and set him on his shoulders, propping him up with his hand on America's back so that America wouldn't topple over.

"Dude, this is so cool!" America exclaimed. He pointed forward and said loudly, "Onward!"

"Vietnam, do you know where Korea is?" Hong Kong was saying after reaching Vietnam via earpiece.

"Isn't he with you?" she asked, surprised.

"You weren't, like, paying attention?"

"I'm sorry. I took a small break and Germany said he'd take over but I think he was too busy dealing with Italy's arrival."

"Italy's back?" Hong Kong asked, attracting everyone's attention.

"Italy's back?" America and Denmark exclaimed simultaneously.

"Put everyone, like, on the line, Vietnam." Hong Kong said quickly.

Seconds later, she did. "Anyway, I'll go find him right now." she said. In the background, they could hear her type on the keyboard. While she searched for Korea, Switzerland beckoned for everyone to head to the exit.

"I hope Hungary, Liechtenstein, and Estonia escaped." America mused.

"Estonia's here?" Denmark asked. "I only heard that Hungary and Liechtenstein were."

America shrugged, his head bobbing up and down as Russia walked. "I heard he was. Hungary probably got him out though; she never forgets someone unlike me. I uh, kinda forgot about him until now. Man, I have to make it up to him somehow. You think he likes hamburgers?"

"Korea's already outside." Vietnam's voice said as they reached the hall where the exit was. The sun was very low in the sky; they couldn't tell if it was sunset or sunrise.

"Oh, well in that case, where's Hungary, Liechtenstein, and Estonia?" Denmark asked.

A brief pause followed Denmark's question before Vietnam came back with the answer. "Hungary is already outside too. She's pretty far from Korea though. On the other side. You guys are going right towards her."

"I see her!" America said eagerly as they popped out of the secret tree entrance. "Hey! Hungary! What's up?"

"There you guys are!" she yelled back, running towards them with two figures after her. It turned out that she did indeed rescue Estonia. His glasses were a little bent and his arm was badly bruised but it didn't seem like he had a horrible beating like America did. Infact, America asked Russia to put him down; he was getting another headache.

"What happened to you guys? Are you guys okay?" Hungary asked in horror, seeing the red in their clothes. "I knew I should have gone in there to look for you guys! Oh no, what happened to Japan? And where the hell is Korea?"

"He's on the opposite side." Switzerland said, glancing around the park. "Which direction, Vietnam?"

Silence.

"Vietnam?"

"He's gone." she said thickly.

"What?" Denmark exclaimed. Everyone whose earpieces were connected to Vietnam grimaced at his loud exclamation. "Sorry, but what do you mean by 'gone'?"

"His tracker vanished." Vietnam said hastily.

"What? What about his army? Are they still going to destroy the place?" Switzerland asked.

Vietnam started to type frantically. "I'll tell them. I can contact the person in charge of the attack..." There was a small ruffling noise and they heard her voice in the background calling for Germany. More ruffling noises and Vietnam added hastily, "I'll tell them to come in soon. Return to Germany's immediately. I repeat, _immediately_. That means no raiding fast food restaurants, America."

America laughed nervously. "Oh trust me, I won't be doing that now."

* * *

><p>Korea groaned mentally when Dark Korea found his new tracker that Japan made for him. He wished that he hid it in his shoe instead of his sleeve.<p>

"Almost missed this one." Dark Korea said, bemused. He crushed the tracker between his fingers and let it fall to the ground.

"Ah, hey...can you at least loosen the ropes, da-ze?" Korea asked weakly. "Seriously, what is up with you and the ropes, da-ze?"

Dark Korea was about to say something when he noticed the other hatreds were approaching them. Dark Vietnam, who was leading the way, backtracked to them, followed by Dark Korea and Korea who was thrown over his shoulder.

"What happened?" Dark Vietnam asked, sending a concerned look to Dark America.

The other doppelgangers huddled around Dark America as he said, "I've been weakened."

Korea perked at this but he regretted that he did. Dark Korea realized that him learning how to weaken them would be a risk, even if there was a slim chance of him escaping them. Dark Korea landed a blow on Korea, knocking him out. Korea tried to stay conscious but the darkness seemed very inviting and he gave in before his mind could say otherwise.

* * *

><p>Germany and England made their way to the conference room hastily, following one of Germany's maid who had fetched them.<p>

The maid opened the doors for them and allowed them in before closing the doors and scurry off.

Vietnam looked very alarmed when they entered and when she spotted them, she stood up and said, "Korea's tracker has been deactivated."

Germany narrowed his eyes. "Is he missing? Is he with the others?"

"No, he was far from the others when I last saw his tracker on the screen." Vietnam insisted. She glanced at the monitors wearily. "I went ahead and told his army to destroy the base. They're coming in within five minutes. The others are coming back."

Germany looked grim. "I see..."

England left the monitors and returned to the chalkboard, locating Korea. He erased 'infiltrating Guangzhou' from Korea's status line and wrote out 'missing'. He looked back, tossing the chalk up with his hand consistently. "What do you think we should do, Germany?" England asked. "We already have a lot of other countries looking for other missing ones. Can we spare a few to look for him?"

There was a small silence before Vietnam spoke up tentatively. "I don't think we should." Vietnam said quietly, avoiding England's gaze. "If his tracker has been deactivated, then it must have been an unnatural deactivation. Maybe someone purposely deactivated it."

England sighed, sticking his hands into his pockets. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to snap at you. I...get angry easily."

"Wait," Germany said, thinking. "You're saying that the doppelgangers have him?"

"It's a possibility." Vietnam said, sitting back down at the computers. "I'll have Japan tell us the whole story when they get back."

Germany nodded. "I see then. I'll go find some countries who have free time though, just in case. Keep up the good work Vietnam. I'm going to go find some...pasta for Italy." Germany muttered. He left the conference room in search for pasta.

England looked through all of the statuses on the chalkboard, tapping his foot to an inaudible beat. Vietnam's voice brought him out of the trance: "You're afraid, aren't you?"

England glanced at Vietnam, surprised. "What?"

Vietnam had turned towards him, but she looked hesitant to speak her mind. After allowing a few seconds pass in silence, she added, "I don't mean to offend, but you've made a lot of enemies over the years, haven't you? Are you afraid of how your doppelganger will be?"

England stared at her for a while. Vietnam lowered her gaze and turned back to the computers, adding a quick apology for bringing a touchy subject up. Sighing heavily, England muttered, "A little bit."

Vietnam turned her head, surprised. Then she said, "If you're scared, then please tell someone you trust about it. Keeping such emotions won't make things better." She didn't bother him anymore; she returned to her work silently.

England stood there for a while, staring out the window. Then he turned around and walked out of the conference room.


	28. England's Concern and Blackout

England stared down at the beer bottle Germany offered him. He tried to take Vietnam's advice and started out by seeking advice from Germany but Germany was still finding pasta for Italy while coming up with a list of countries that could be free to help find Korea. So instead of giving England sound advice, he gave him a bottle of beer.

Not exactly what he was looking for.

So England went back to Vietnam. But she too was rather busy; she had to deal with the complaints from some of the countries out there. "I'm sorry." she said hastily to him as she pulled up several windows on the computers. "There's some sort of problem in Mexico right now. I'm trying to sort things out...you don't happen to have a pen around, do you?"

And so England lent her a pen and left the conference room in search for someone who had time to listen.

"Heal me first." France said.

England was sitting in a chair right beside France's bed in the room where he was staying at; he didn't look too badly beaten up although France begged to differ.

Giving France a look, England simply said, "No." He wondered if he had sunken that low to actually go to France for help. What was he doing in there anyway?

France looked shocked. "You come here for help and you won't help me heal? Don't you have any of that magic left over?"

That magic? _That_? How could he speak of magic so lightly? "I'll consider healing you if you give me advice." England said stiffly. The words sounded weird in his mouth; asking France for advice...asking..._France_ for advice? Again, it wasn't like him.

"But...but...I hurt all over!" France whined. "Please? Surely you can do something, mon cher."

"No."

"Please?"

"_No_."

"How can you act like this to your dear old friend?"

"Friend?"

"Okay, let me rephrase. How can you-"

"No need to. The answer is still 'no'."

"_S'il tu plait_?"

England stood up at once and left the room as France called after him, "If you're like that then why did you come to me for help in the first place?"

"I wonder why too," England mumbled under his breath.

Thinking back, he had heard from Japan that Thailand was pretty wise and he tried to figure out where Thailand was. Back at the conference room, he stared at the chalkboard, searching for Thailand's name and his status. Unfortunately he was out in Mexico evacuating.

"Wait, Vietnam, didn't you say there was some sort of conflict in Mexico?" England asked her.

She nodded while examining a map of Oaxaca.

"Is Thailand there?"

Vietnam glanced up at him, giving him a weird look. "Yes, why?" she asked slowly.

"Can I talk to him?"

She gave him an exasperated look. "Right now?"

"Yes."

She stared at him for a while and then at the monitors. Reluctantly, she agreed to connect him to Thailand. England thanked her and slipped the headphones over his ears. "Thailand, are you there?" England asked uncertainly.

"I'm here, ana. How are you England?" Thailand's voice asked cheerfully. England was impressed with how clear his voice was. But there wasn't any time to be impressed with that; he went straight to business.

"Not very good." England said in a low tone. "Say, do you have any advice for me?"

"About what, ana?"

"My doppelganger."

"You've ran into Dark England, ana?" Thailand asked, sounding genuinely worried.

"No, no, not yet." England said hastily, shooting Vietnam a concerned look. She looked a little impatient, murmuring something about putting Mexico on hold on another line. He considered himself lucky that she didn't whack him over the head with her rice paddle yet. "I feel anxious about mine-"

"Ah, so you want comforting words, ana." Thailand said.

"Er, sure?"

Thailand was silent for a while. England wondered if he was still there. "Thailand?"

"Sorry England, ana. Something just happened." Thailand sounded nervous. England frowned as he heard shouts in the background. "East, ana!" Thailand shouted hastily. England flinched at the sudden loudness of his voice. "Sorry England, ana. All I can say is that you shouldn't worry, ana. Can you put me back on line with Vietnam, ana?"

England surrendered the headphones back to Vietnam and Vietnam hastily resumed her work. England lingered around to learn what happened and Vietnam mentioned that Greece had ran into Dark Mexico in Oaxaca. England hastily changed Greece's status and Dark Mexico's status beside the original's name.

"Is there anything else I can do?" he asked her.

Vietnam shook her head.

Seeing that there really wasn't anything else to do, England reluctantly left the conference room in search of someone who had time to talk to him and wasn't in danger.

Canada fiddled his thumbs nervously under England's blank stare. It was starting to get rather uncomfortable.

"Um...so what is it that you want to talk to me about?" he asked timidly, taking a small sip of his coffee.

England frowned and cocked his head. "Er...you..._are_...here, right?" he asked slowly.

Canada waved his hands in front of England. "I'm right here in front of you!" he exclaimed.

England seemed to relax a little. "Okay then. I'm sorry. Er, how can I put this? You see...my doppelganger probably...wait, let me think this through..."

Canada and England were sitting in Germany's living room, Canada on one armchair, England in the other. England was sure that he had pieced together the words beforehand but apparently not. On the bright side, Canada had everything under control.

"You're worried about your doppelganger, right?" he asked gently.

England nodded, giving up on putting his feelings into words; he was never really good at that. Sarcasm was better suited for him but he wasn't sure he could use sarcasm in his situation.

Canada laughed and told England that America had came to him about the exact same thing.

"Really?" England asked, surprised. "He was worried? America? _America_?"

Canada nodded. "Yes, he was really worried. I don't think he is anymore though." Canada added, gazing out the living room window. He smiled; the sky was a beautiful bright blue, just like the day America had went to talk to him. It's about time to bring out his 'Don't worry about your doppelganger' speech again, not that it was quite long enough to be a speech however. It just sounded more formal to call it a speech.

"What...what did you tell him?" England asked quietly, trying not to show too much interest.

Canada tilted his head thoughtfully. "We all want happiness, right?" he asked England. Yes, that was the beginning. Now what else was there? "We want to fly into the air and soar, free from sorrow, poverty, hunger, and anything else that hinders what makes us happy. The happiness we want is warm and comforting like the sun but also high spirited and light like the clouds. That happiness is the opposite of hate, the opposite of the doppelgangers themselves. We chase them in the shadows, but what we need to do is to step out into the sunlight and wait for them to come."

Finished. Canada looked away from the windows to look at England. England merely stared at him. "Um..." England sounded concerned. "Where are you?"

Canada gaped at him. Then he stood up, waving his arms around. "I'm right here, England." he insisted. Waving his hands in front of England, he added, "Did you hear me?"

England's eyes traveled back up to Canada's face and he breathed out a sigh of relief. "There you are. Sorry, I was stirring my tea and when I looked up I didn't see you. How do you do that?"

Canada's shoulders slumped. "I really don't know." he said.

England pursed his lips. "So uh, what was it that you told America? I do apologize."

And so Canada repeated himself and England nodded. "I see. So I just accept it, don't I?" His eyes brightened a little. "It sounds so obvious now...I think I can accept it..." But then his green eyes darkened. "But er, will everyone else?"

Canada smiled at him. "They'll have to. It can't be helped."

England nodded again. "Alright. So... there's nothing worth to worry about, is there?"

"Not at all."

England wasn't sure if he felt completely better about Dark England but he felt a bit better. He smiled gratefully at Canada. "I see. Well, I suppose that's all. Thank you very much...um..." He frowned at Canada, trying to remember his name. "Who are you again? I have your name at the very tip of my tongue..."

"I'm Canada."

"Who?"

Canada gave England an exasperated look. Realization took over England and he added hastily, "Oh, right, right. That's your name. My mistake. Sorry. Thank you very much Canada."

England took his cup of tea, gave one last smile to Canada, and left the living room.

* * *

><p>America had blacked out again. Luckily for him he blacked out in the car that he, Hungary, and Korea had arrived in so there was really no harm done. Except that Hungary will have to find a way to calm Germany down after seeing the blood stains on the leather seats.<p>

Hungary expected that with everyone crammed into a car that was supposed to seat five people, it would be somewhat of a tight fit. She had forgotten to ask how the others had gotten to Guangzhou in the first place; Denmark had told her that they all didn't have to fit into the car she, America, and Korea arrived in. "We'll just have Switzerland drive the rest of us in the other car." Denmark said cheerfully.

And so Hungary checked the rear mirror of the car she was driving and smiled to herself at the sleeping figures of Japan and America. Hong Kong was in the middle, looking somewhat bemused by the fact that his lap was sacrificed in order to be their pillows; they were bleeding all over him despite his efforts to bandage them up with his sleeve, which was tattered and torn.

Hungary promised to buy him another outfit like that when they got back to Germany's, although she wasn't sure if Germany had any stores that sold clothes like Hong Kong's. _Oh well, that's what online shopping is for, right? _Hungary reasoned.

Estonia sat in the passenger seat beside her, glancing behind at Hong Kong, Japan, and America. He smiled, chuckling. "Without the blood, they look like they really are sleeping."

Hungary glanced to the side and smiled at the others in the other car. Switzerland seemed to be annoyed for some reason; Hungary could see that he was gritting his teeth as he drove. Liechtenstein was in the passenger seat beside him, looking worriedly behind her shoulder at the others behind.

Russia was sitting in the middle of the car, smiling pleasantly as Belarus sat on one side and Denmark in the other; the two were bickering it seems. Belarus looked furious and Denmark laughed everything off.

"I'm glad I'm, like, here and not there." Hong Kong said from behind. He too was looking out the window.

Hungary laughed. "I feel sorry for Switzerland. Oh well, it's only for another hour and a half at least. He'll survive."

"It's a good thing he can't shoot and drive at the same time." Estonia said.

"No kidding," Hungary agreed.

* * *

><p>Thailand and Mexico exchanged looks. Thailand had came from the north of the country to meet up with Mexico in Oaxaca, where Greece was last spotted. Belgium, who was somewhere in the east near Cancun, was on her way.<p>

"Vietnam, are you sure Greece was here?" Mexico asked.

"I'm sure." she said. "He called me and said that your doppelganger was chasing after him." There was a small pause. She added uncertainly, "His tracker is blinking off and on again every few minutes. It just came back on and he's in the western side. Oh!" Another pause. "It's gone again."

"Ana...I hope Greece is okay." Thailand said quietly, glancing around the street. The last of the citizens of Oaxaca were hustling towards the helicopters that landed on the top of the rooftops of the buildings. People huddled close together with their belongings while being ushered into the helicopters.

The two were silent for a while, watching the helicopters lift into the air to be replaced by another. When everyone from the rooftops were gone, they relaxed and exchanged looks. "They're gone now. Whatever happens next won't harm them." Mexico said, smiling.

Thailand agreed, returning the smile. But then he frowned. "Ana, Vietnam's been silent for a while, hasn't she?"

Mexico reached up to his earpiece. "She has," he murmured. Pushing the button on the side, he asked, "Vietnam are you there?"

Silence.

"Viet-"

Mexico never got an answer; darkness enveloped him before he knew what was going on and he fell to the ground, followed by Thailand.

* * *

><p>Finland sighed, kicking a pebble across the street. He couldn't find Bulgaria anywhere and neither could Sweden, who was on the search with him. He could have sworn that Bulgaria was with them before, but maybe he confused him with another; it was all a big mess. He'd have to remember everyone's statuses before setting off but there were so many of them.<p>

"Find him yet?" Finland asked Sweden, who was trailing behind him.

Sweden silently shook his head.

Sighing, Finland scratched the back of his head and swept the street with his eyes. There was nothing in sight. The two walked down the street and turned a corner, peering into any alleys they came across and stopping every so often to see if they could hear any signs of life.

Be careful what you wish for; that's what they say.

Finland heard Sweden collapse on the ground and spun around I alarm. "Sweden, what's wr-"

Finland soon joined Sweden on the ground, unconscious.

* * *

><p>Taiwan had ran into the Netherlands right after she was done evacuating northern Germany; the Netherlands was returning to headquarters when Taiwan ran into him and she joined in as they walked back.<p>

The Netherlands was listening to Taiwan excitedly chatter about how amazing it was that everybody was coming together to help each other out. "It's amazing what you can do if you put aside differences, right?" she smiled.

But the Netherlands didn't answer.

Taiwan glanced around and screamed; he was on the ground, bleeding heavily. Before she could rush to him she felt something move behind her. And then she fell, giving in into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Germany gaped at the monitors, rooted to the spot behind Vietnam. England was next to him, and he too stared at the monitors in shock.<p>

The red dots that were scattered all over the place were disappearing one by one; the first few in Mexico, the next few in Bulgaria, two close to headquarters, and dozens everywhere else. Only a handful remained, but they were moving around frantically.

"What's going on?" Vietnam whispered.

All of a sudden, the lights in the conference room flickered off. The computers shut off completely and the whirl of the machines ceased. They were enveloped in silent darkness. "The electricity!" England exclaimed. "It's gone!"

"Did the doppelgangers do this?" Germany asked himself. Cursing under his breath, he briskly left the computers and to the windows. He pulled open the curtains and peered out into the dusk; there were no lights on in the city; everything was completely dark. The setting sun was the only light and within another hour or two it would be gone.

"England, go to the basements! That's where all the electric circuits are!" Germany commanded, turning on his heels sharply. "Vietnam, go round up the other countries in this house that aren't wounded here."

England hurried away, followed by Vietnam. When those two were gone, Germany walked up to the chalkboard, glanced it over, and kicked it over angrily. As the board clattered to the ground, nearly cracked into halves, Germany hissed to himself. "Every time we try to do something they're always one step ahead of us!"

Then he kicked over a few chairs, trying to find a way to vent out his frustration.

"Germany?"

Germany glanced up towards the side doors where Italy poked his head in. Although it was dim in the conference room, Germany could see Italy's worried expression. "What is it?" he growled.

Italy ran up to Germany and wrapped his arms around him tightly. "Wh-what are you doing?" Germany demanded, trying to free himself from the Italian's hug. "Don't touch me!"

"Ve, Germany, don't get mad, Germany." Italy said pleadingly. "There are still a lot of good things to think about."

"Like what?" Germany snapped.

Italy finally released Germany and he gave him a bright smile. "We have hope, right Germany? As long as we have hope, we can still win."

Germany wanted to scoff at Italy for being so optimistic but he hesitated and thought it over. "Italy...do you still want that pasta?"

Italy's smile brightened. "Really? Pasta! Pasta, pasta, pasta!" Italy tugged at Germany's sleeve and Germany sighed, following him.


	29. Recovering

Germany wondered how he was in the middle of his kitchen in the dark cooking pasta on the stove (that didn't run on electricity, thank goodness). Normally, he would be down in the basements helping England figure out why the electricity had shut off. Then, after that, he would return to the conference room where Vietnam would have rounded up anyone that was there in the house (that was not wounded) and tell them what they were going to do next.

What they were going to do next was something Germany wasn't too sure about and he had hoped that everyone who were to be gathered up in the conference room would think of something. There was the issue about a possible hideout in Chicago and then there were the countries whose trackers had suddenly gone out seconds before the blackout. And the blackout itself was also an issue; without electricity, there was no way to contact the others, there was now a limit on what they could do (Germany thought that whoever came up with the idea of using electricity for everyday use was a genius and he didn't like the idea of going back to living without it, especially in a time like this), and in the darkness, anything could happen.

And yet...why was he stirring the pasta in the boiling pot of water while Italy hummed an upbeat melody while chopping up tomatoes?

The Earth was a very, very, strange place.

Eventually, when the pasta was all done and Italy was content with the flavor, Germany hurried to the conference room with Italy following him hurriedly, not wanting to be left alone in the kitchen where it was dark and empty now that Germany had left.

There were only a few countries that remained back; roughly about seven if Germany didn't count Italy, England, and Vietnam. Italy sat down at the enormous table and ate his pasta while watching everyone flock towards Germany for answers. Among the many questions were 'What happened to the power?', 'What's going on'?, and 'Where were you?'. Unfortunately, Germany could only answer the 'Where were you' question. The others were up for interpretation, and that was exactly what they were doing.

"So the power just cut off all of a sudden?" Cuba asked, crossing his arms. "Like, after the trackers started to deactivate?"

"Did the doppelgangers do it?" Turkey asked.

"Well Germany just said he didn't know so there's no point in asking." England said.

"England, anything to report?" Germany asked him.

"When I was in the basements, there wasn't any sign of a rodent chewing on the wires or anything. Everything seemed okay." England said.

"Well then..." Germany said, coughing. "Perhaps we probably shouldn't worry about the electricity, not really."

"How come?" Cuba asked.

"If I'm right, then the electricity is off everywhere in the world. If so, then it'll come back on because those doppelgangers would need it too." Germany reasoned. "If not then oh well, we'll just go to a place with electricity and make headquarters there instead." Clearing his throat once again, he continued. "However, when it's dark, like right now, stay together. Who knows what can be lurking around."

"Minimum of three per group, right?" Portugal asked.

Germany nodded in confirmation. "Wait, we're not done yet." he said once everyone started to break apart from each other. Getting everyone's attention again, he said, "We need to discuss the fact that the other countries could be in danger. There's no telling how many people are missing now. For all we know, we may be the only ones left."

"Ve!" Italy cried out. "You make it sound too scary, Germany!"

Germany ignored Italy.

"Well what can we do about it at a time like this?" Vietnam asked. "We can't go out there and look for them; we're already having trouble searching for the original missing countries and their doppelgangers in the first place when we had hundreds of countries."

"She's right." Turkey said, jabbing a thumb towards Vietnam. "There's only, what, a dozen of us?"

There was not much to do about the countries that could be missing right now; as much as they all hated to admit it, their situation would worsen if they recklessly do something. It was dark outside and there was no light nor electricity for the time being. They would have to wait until morning (and hopefully the countries that were expected to return would help their chances).

When they were about to discuss what they'd do about Chicago, they heard the main doors open in the dimness of the room. Everybody snapped their attention to whoever entered, their hands resting uneasily on the closest weapon they could find. They relaxed somewhat when it was Austria, Cameroon, New Zealand, and Prussia that entered the room.

"West!" Prussia yelled in the dark, groping his way around the table. Everyone heard Prussia hiss sharply after a loud _bang_ on the table.

"Brother, where are you? Have your eyes not adjusted yet?" Germany asked towards the general direction of Prussia's bitter profanity.

"West, I just entered the damn room." Prussia snapped. "Why the hell are the lights off?" he demanded.

"Prussia, the lights were off everywhere we went." Cameroon groaned quietly. "The lighting here is no different than the lighting outside."

"Whatever," Prussia scoffed. His voice was closer now; Germany could have sworn his brother was right in front of him. And he was. Prussia walked right into Germany. "West, what are you standing in my way for?" Prussia asked incredulously, patting Germany's face.

"Is your eyesight that bad?" Germany growled, utterly bemused.

"Not my fault the lights are off."

"Eyes adjust."

"Mine are too awesome for that."

"It's a disadvantage."

"An _awesome_ disadvantage."

Germany didn't want to continue to quarrel with his brother; Prussia was too stubborn to let something like that go without him saying the final word. Leaving him be, Germany glanced at Austria, Cameroon, and New Zealand.

"Cameroon, New Zealand, go rest." Germany said when he noticed their battered up expressions. They looked so weary that it seemed as if their knees threatened to buckle and give way. He sent England and Turkey to escort the two to empty rooms to stay in; he still wondered if the doppelgangers turned the electricity off in order to sneak into his house when it was dark. Sending two injured countries out was risky in this situation. It was still possible that the doppelgangers had snuck in and taking a risk as big as this was simply out of the question.

"So, what's been going on?" Prussia asked. "I've heard a lot of things from Austria and the others but let me hear it from you, West."

And so Germany filled Prussia in with what had happened, the others piping in to verify an event or to add something Germany didn't mention. Before everyone could get carried away and tell their story, Germany said loudly, "And now we come to Chicago and the possibility of weapons being hidden there."

Prussia's mouth twitched upwards into a grin. "Hold on, I'm interested in this Chicago hideout thing. Weapons? From China and North Korea, you say? And those what-do-you-call-ems are our hatreds? In human form? So then...well this will make awesome journal entries for my journal." Then Prussia's face fell. "But I missed the last past week; I never missed a single day until now!"

The doors opened again and everyone once again tensed, holding their breaths and wait to identify who was coming in. They relaxed again when it was revealed to be America and the others. Germany expected America to laugh his laugh and announce his arrival but he didn't.

Instead, America hobbled forward with Russia helping him out like a parent helping a toddler walk. It was a surprise to them but no one complained. America glanced up at Germany, squinting his eyes in the darkness, and smiled wearily. "What's up Germany?"

"So the power is out here too..." Hungary murmured from behind.

"Was the power off from where you came from?" Austria asked.

Hungary perked at the sound of Austria's voice and immediately located him. "Austria!" Hungary exclaimed. "You're back safely!"

"I am," Austria said. "But was-"

"Yes, yes, it was." Hungary said. "It was strange. We were driving along the road and the streetlights around us flickered off and we had to rely on the headlights of the cars to lead us back here." She stepped towards Austria and hung out by his side.

"What happened to Japan?" Italy asked worriedly, rushing to Hong Kong and Estonia who were carrying Japan without trying to injure him any further. Japan was stirring but didn't necessarily wake.

"Japan took Russia's blow from Dark Belarus." Switzerland said to Italy as Liechtenstein clung onto Switzerland's arm nervously. "He might have a concussion; we're not sure."

"Take him to the hospital. His injuries look too severe for him to stay here." Denmark told Germany.

Germany gritted his teeth. He had forgotten about the hospital. Were the people there still able to treat them after the electricity went off? All of the machinery must run on electricity, but didn't they have some sort of back-up generator in case if something like this happened?

Even so, there was the part where they had to transfer Japan to the hospital itself in the dark. If the doppelgangers were out there somewhere, they'd know exactly where they were if they went by car. The hum of the engine and the beams of light from the headlights would attract them.

Was it still worth it though?

Germany looked at Japan for a while and with every passing second, he could feel his stomach sink. Everyone's eyes were on him, waiting for him to deal the cards. "Hong Kong and Russia, go take Japan to the hospital." Germany said at last. The reason why he picked who he picked was because Hong Kong could be an excellent fighter and Russia...was there really a need to explain?

Estonia handed over Japan's upper torso over to Russia, who had left America sitting on a chair.

Germany was relieved that Austria and America's groups had returned; he had a wider variety of people to choose now. Chicago was still and issue and he hoped that America would heal within two weeks before the invasion Korea had told them about. America would know his way around his own country. Germany wondered if America was up for it; he had thought that the wounds America had was pretty impressive. It was a wonder how the man was still sitting upright...ish. America slumped over the table, bleeding slightly.

Perhaps he should send America to the hospital with Japan.

"Hong Kong, Russia." Germany said sharply, stopping them before they could leave the room. Hong Kong and Russia glanced back at Germany. "Take America too." Germany finished.

Russia said something to Hong Kong and Hong Kong nodded, helping Russia put Japan on the floor while Russia went back to retrieve America; America had blacked out once again, although he fell in between consciousness and unconsciousness. For good measure, Germany asked Portugal to assist them and Portugal hurried forward towards Hong Kong and they both carefully lifted Japan up, leading the way as Russia followed behind with America hanging onto his back.

"Germany."

Germany glanced over at Turkey. Turkey was staring after the countries that carried Japan and America away. "Will they be alright? Will Japan be okay?"

"Japan is a strong nation; anytime he seems like he will fall, he gets right back up." Germany said serenely. "I believe he will do fine. America too."

Turkey was quiet for a while. Then he said, "Chicago, huh? What do we do?"

"First we'll wait for America to heal. England could probably help him heal; he can help Japan too." Germany said shortly. "After that, America will lead a team to Chicago and destroy the weapons. We can not let this invasion get to us; we're already weakened and severely short in number right now. An invasion from the doppelgangers will surely be our downfall."

"Germany..." Vietnam said quietly. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Germany lowered his gaze a little, staring at the floor ahead of him. "I do too." he said truthfully. "But we'll somehow make it through. I swear it. We really need to destroy those weapons and we need to restore order to the world. If this continues any longer...I don't know what."


	30. Best Buds Group and Chicago

Three days passed. During the three days, America had genuinely apologized to Japan about the bombings back in World War II (Japan was anxious to stop talking about such horrible times; he understood why America was apologizing and he too was sorry for bombing Pearl Harbor but America went on and on through details that seemed quite unnecessary).

"I see...well, then I shall agree to become 'best buds' with you America." Japan had said at the end of the 'Apology Session'. Normally, Japan would have bowed and go away but he and America were in the hospital at the time and walking away was physically impossible. Well, if he tried, he could make it two steps before his knees buckled and his head pounded.

By the time Japan and America were released from the hospital ("Well what do you know, I guess we really _do _heal fast!" America had laughed, at to which Japan responded by asking if America had really gone through so many wars and not notice until now.), they returned to Germany's house at once.

It was a mess there. The power occasionally came on; Germany wondered if it was because the doppelgangers need the power all of a sudden. That led him to think of another thing; the world's electricity can't simply be turned on and off by simply switcing on a single switch; there must be thousands, millions, hundred millions of switches or buttons from powerplants to generate everyone's electricity. Unless the doppelgangers were in town right then and there, Germany couldn't see how their power coressponded to the doppelgangers if they were far, far away.

When America and Japan returned, Japan went out to seek Russia with America's help. Japan took his time to apologize to Russia and saying that he truly wanted to be 'best buds' with Russia as well. "For the sake of our people, the world, and for the sake of our happiness and prosperity. I will like to become friends." Japan said, smiling as he held out a hand tentatively.

At first, when America suggested that he should reconcile with Russia, Japan was somewhat reluctant to; he admitted to America that he was somewhat afraid. He had heard quite a few stories about Russia and sometimes, when Russia was in a bad mood, he could actually feel the aura around him.

But Russia seemed happier than usual; Japan couldn't feel some of the dark aura. There was still the feeling of uncertain danger about Russia, but when Russia took Japan's hand and apologized back, Japan realized that Russia was like a huge giant teddy bear, gentle voiced and 'huggable' as America called it.

And so the 'Best Buds' duo changed to the 'Best Buds' trio. "Yes!" America said cheerfully, fist pumping the air. "Three countries! Now, the rest of the world to go!"

Italy had overheard and ran up to Japan, tugging at his sleeve. "Ve, Japan, can I be part of the 'Best Buds' too?"

Japan smiled warmly at Italy and America placed his arm around Italy's shoulders. "Of course!" America exclaimed. "Our goal is to have everyone join! Spread the love and everything, am I right? Say, Italy..." America's energetic voice lowered to his serious voice, the one he used to apologize to Russia and Japan.

"Yes, America?" Italy blinked at America.

"You have a doppelganger..." America said, somewhat curious. "So that means you probably hate someone or something. What do you hate?"

"America," Japan said quickly. "They said that doppelgangers grow from dislike as well. Italy probably just has dislikes."

"No, Japan. America's right." Italy said softly.

"What?" Japan stared at Italy.

"I do have some things I hate." Italy said quietly.

"Like what?" America asked.

Italy held up his hand and counted off of his fingers. "Ve...Let's see...I hate not eating my pasta, I hate it when the bed is cold, I hate it when the wind blows sand into my eyes, I hate it when I have no utensils for my pasta, I hate England's cooking-it looks yucky!"

America, Russia, and Japan laughed as Italy named all of the small things he hated. They quieted when Italy said the last thing he hated.

"And...I hate being abandoned..."

America glanced up at Russia. Japan stared at Italy. Then, at once, America pulled Italy closer to the three and then proceeded to pull Russia and Japan in into a group hug. "Don't worry Italy." America said.

"We won't abandon you." Japan said, struggling to not break away from everyone else; he still wasn't used to hugs.

"I know how you feel..." Russia said to Italy. Italy looked up at Russia, smiling when he saw Russia smile. "I felt lonely before; I don't like feeling abandoned. But now I have friends, and I hope we can be friends too. This feeling is warm, yes? It's pleasant."

The four broke apart (Japan sighed mentally in relief) and Italy nodded at Russia. "Yeah, the feeling is very pleasant."

And so Italy became one of the 'Best Buds' group. "And we'll celebrate by eating pasta!" Italy exclaimed, linking arms with Russia and Japan. He made sure America's arm was linked to Japan and then Italy led them down to Germany's kitchen for pasta.

The day was nice for them compared to the other countries. Germany was still somewhat stressed but with help from the others, he managed not to knock over any more chalkboards ("Honestly, all of my work could have shattered." England had mumbled under his breath while he and Turkey propped the board back up.).

The list of countries Germany decided to send over to Chicago had been carefully looked over several times. Germany had thought long and hard about it; he's lost so many and he didn't want to walk right into traps the doppelgangers might have set up for them, although he felt as if he really _was_ walking right into one.

But he managed to make a list. "America, since it's his land after all." Germany announced as the countries present gathered in the conference room for dinner. The last of the sun's rays were faded in the sky as clouds rolled by to block the majority of the rays out. It left a beautiful pink-purple color outside the windows, although the black of the night was still to come and the absolute darkness would be dangerous indeed.

Dinner was a little cold; Germany didn't want to risk using the stove too much in case if the doppelgangers cut their gas supply. They ate military style; cold everything. Cold fish, check. Cold beef, check. Cold pork, check. Germany had seen some of the nations poke at their cold mashed potatoes for a while before gulping it down with a small wrinkle between their eyebrows.

"France." France was the second country listed to go to Chicago. France was healed by England, whom Germany commanded to heal. It was enough to listen to the man go on about his fabulous cooking but it was another thing to hear him go on about how his injuries hurt.

And Germany thought that with his flashy clothes, France could be used as a distraction.

"How rude!" France had cried out when Germany mentioned that.

"I was kidding." Germany had said to France. "You're going because I want you to, is that a good enough answer for you?"

Honestly, France was only going because Germany wanted to make sure France was doing something. If they ever won the fight, he knew that France would complain about how he didn't get any glorious time in battle, and Germany would have to listen to France whine about it for quite some time. It was better to make sure the man didn't have anything to complain about. That and he felt like France could be of some help one way or another; he just wasn't sure of what.

"England."

England looked up from his cold cup of tea. "Why am I going?" he asked incredulously.

"Because of your magical abilities." Germany said. "Surely you can use it for offense, right?"

England sniffed. "Well obviously. It takes a bit of energy from me but I'm perfectly capable."

"Italy."

"Ve?" Italy looked up quickly when he heard his name called out. "But Germany, why am I going?"

Germany didn't want to put Italy out there, especially at a place like Chicago. But with the idea he had in mind, it would be best for Italy to go with them. "You have fast feet, don't you Italy?" Germany asked him. "Make use of it, alright?"

Italy nodded quietly. "Okay, I'll go wherever Germany tells me to go."

"Besides," America said from his seat. He gave Italy an excited look. "You'll have me, the Hero, to help you out!"

That made Italy calm down significantly.

The four were to leave for Chicago the day after. Germany wondered if he made the right choice by taking the risk. He knew that Italy would be in safe hands, but he was far more concerned about the possibilities of what he thought. If he was wrong...

"No, I can't think like that." Germany said as he uncapped a bottle of beer.

"Hey, West." Prussia called from four seats away. "So we got the Chicago part covered, but what about the invasion and the missing nations, huh?"

Murmurs aroused and Germany held up his hand for silence. "I have plans for the invasion." Germany said thickly. "As for the missing nations, I have a feeling that we'll run into them."

"A feeling? A 'feeling' isn't always honest." Austria said, dabbing the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief.

"Do you trust that feeling, Germany?" Hungary asked him.

"I hope so." Germany said, sighing. He gulped down some of his beer and set it down on the table.

* * *

><p>"My dear England," France said. "You must see this beautiful sunrise!"<p>

France glanced behind his shoulder from the boat's rails. They had to depart Germany by boat. "Planes make too much noise." Germany had reasoned. "And walking isn't an option, is it?"

America walked over to the rails with Italy trailing behind him. Leaning on the rails, Italy said, "It's so beautiful! If only I had a canvas and some paint...and brushes."

America leaned over the rails to look at the water crashing into the sides of the boat. "Cool. It's been a while since I've bene on a boat."

"America, you'll lose your glasses if you keep doing that." England snapped, walking up to America to pull him back in.

"But, dude, look! Fish!" America reached over and forced England's head over the rails and then down. England gripped onto the rails and escaped America hastily, a flash of sudden alarm on his face.

"What's wrong England?" France asked. "You're not afrai-ah, I see!" France grinned at England as England sent a glare his way.

"What is it?" America asked curiously.

"England can't swim!" France laughed.

"Sh-shut up!" England hissed, crossing his arms. "It's not my fault that no one ever taught me."

"You can't swim?" Italy asked England in surprise. "England, I can teach you! You just have to move your arms like this." Italy 'swam' in the air, waving his arms in circular motions. "And you have to kick your feet."

"It's not that hard England." America said casually. "Just do what Italy says!"

France interrupted before England could say anything. "Ah, but mon cher, he can't swim because he used to be a pi-"

England clamped his hand over France's mouth angrily.

"Pi?" Italy repeated. "What do you mean, Big Brother France?"

"Pie, pie!" America said. "England, I didn't know you used to be a pie." he added jokingly.

France smacked England's hand away and said, "Pirate. England, that was the past and yet you still are embarassed about it?"

England looked away. America then laughed. "Oh, I get it. It's that saying, right? The saying says that pirates can't swim. I think that's kinda ironic."

"Yeah well it isn't to me!" England said hotly. "Just you watch, after this problem is over I'll show you! I'll show you all!"

"Yeah, yeah, save it for later." America said, waving England's words away. Stretching, America added,"I think I'm going to go catch a few more Z's. It's pretty early and we won't get there for another three hours or something."

"Where are we now?" Italy asked France as America left the deck.

"Somewhere in the Atlantic." France replied.

"Well no, really?" England asked sarcastically.

"It's very true." France said, oblivious to England's sarcasm.

England sighed and walked away from France and Italy, muttering how he's going to go make breakfast. France and Italy exchanged worried looks and dragged England away from the kitchen as he kicked, shouting for help. "Let go of me!" England yelled, his feet dragging across the floor.

"You'll kill us all if you cook!" France chided.

"Ve, England! Let us handle the cooking, okay?" Italy pleaded. "We'll cook, we'll cook! You rest right here."

"How the bloody hell is this _resting_?" England yelled at them after they duct taped him to the wall. France tossed the empty roll of duct tape into the trash can beside them and brushed off imaginary dirt from his lap.

"Well, my dear Italy." France said cheerfully. He placed an arm around Italy and added, "Shall we go make masterpieces?"

"Can I make pasta?"

France cocked his head. "For breakfast, mon ami?"

Italy looked crestfallen. "Pasta isn't a breakfast food, is it?"

"I'm sorry Italy, but it isn't. How about this? I'll make some crepes for you, huh? How does that sound? Remember the crepes I made you when you were a petit country?"

Italy brightened. "Crepes! I remember, Big Brother France!"

France laughed and led Italy away from England, who was struggling to break free from his duct tape cocoon. "Italy, mon cher, you can count on me to make the most deliscious crepes in the world!"


	31. An Archaic Visitor

As a precaution, America stopped the boat before they could see the shore. Since they were travelling west, it was still early morning when they arrived. The sun was not quite up yet; it made it perfect for them to sneak about.

"Everyone in!" America called as Italy hopped into the small rowboat. They were supposed to row their way to shore. Before they had departed Germany, Germany had asked America how they were going to get to Chicago after they landed on the east coast.

"Silly Germany," America had grinned. "We're reaching Chicago by boat. There's a river that will lead us through the Great Lakes and we'll be in Lake Michigan when we get out."

So far, they had gone through three of the Great Lakes and passed by locks that seperated the lakes. When they made it halfway through Lake Michigan, America then decided that it was time to get out the rowboat.

"Hey, France! England! Hurry up!" America called.

"We're coming," England said hastily.

As England made his way to the rowboats, America peered over the rails. "Don't fall into the water England," America said with a mischievious grin.

England froze, staring at America. "You wouldn't dare..."

"Ah, well, sometimes I lose my balance, you know." America said. "In you go!" America pushed England past the rails and watched as he dropped into the rowboat below. The rowboat rocked and swayed dangerously, water lopping into the boat. Italy tried to get to one end worriedly as England tried not to fall out of the boat.

"America you idiot!" England yelled up towards America after the water calmed down. "Do you want me to drown?"

There was no answer. Instead, France came tumbling down. Italy and England ashed to the ends of the boat and France collapsed in the middle. Luckily the boat was rather balanced; Italy sitting at the front and England sitting in the back helped the boat from capsizing.

And then there was America.

"Cannonball!" America shouted out gleefully as he jumped off the rail.

"That's only when you're jumping into the water!" Italy laughed.

Only, that was the point.

The three in the boat cried out in alarm as America splashed into the water, soaking them. Sputtering, France said, "My clothes are wet..."

"Well everyone's is." England said with exasperation. He shook his arm in hopes of flinging excess water away from himself as America popped up beside the rowboat, pulling himself in.

"You're making a mess." France sighed, pulling his feet in to avoid his shoes from getting wet from America. America shook his head like a dog and reached into his pocket.

Putting his glasses back on, America pointed south and said, "Onward!"

England, France, and Italy glanced around. "There's no paddle." Italy said.

America dropped his arm, looking around the small boat. "Really? Dang it, where's Vietnam when you need her?" Crouching down, America reached out and paddled the water with his hand.

"Are you serious?" England asked.

"Less talking, more paddling." America said.

It was quite an odd scene. Four countries in a small rowboat paddling on the sides to get to a shore they couldn't even spot. After a few frustrating minutes, where they had only made a couple of feet, England stopped his paddling and cracked his knuckles. "Alright, enough of this rubbish." he said. Feeling the flow of his magic running through his veins, he said, "Let me have a go at it."

America and France exchanged looks and sat back up, their backs cracking in satisfaction from being hunched over for so long. Italy's face brightened when he saw that England was going to 'do magic tricks'.

For some odd reason, the wind started to blow around them, as if wrapping around England himself. America glanced up at the darkening sky and let out a low whistle. "He's getting pretty serious."

And then, all of a sudden, England released his magic and America, France, and Italy shouted out in alarm when the boat started speeding up like a speed boat. The three countries gripped onto each other for dear life as England directed them across the water, having no need to hold on to anything to keep himselffrom falling into the water.

After a while, America laughed outloud. "This is fun! England, you should have done this when I was little!"

"A little America on these rough waves?" France exclaimed, clasping a hand over his mouth. He looked oddly pale. "If I had heard word that you two were up to speeding along the waters like this years back I wouldn't have allowed it."

"Aw, Big Brother France, this is very fun!" Italy laughed. "Ve, faster, England, faster!"

Much to France's dismay, England sped on. It got to the point where the rowboat even got air time.

"Helmets, we need helmets." France declared after the shore came into view. England had slowed them down until they were merely sailing peacefully towards shore. "And life jackets. Bubble wrap shall be a great comfort as well..."

America laughed, patting France on the back. "Dude, if you need to throw up, throw up into the lake, okay?"

And so France did.

* * *

><p>Chicago's towers literally towered over them. Empty cars were deserted in the roads and highways; some of the doors were wide open and England found it odd how the cars in America had the steering wheel on the left side and not the right.<p>

"Well, everything seems normal." America said.

"This is normal?" Italy asked.

"Uh, well, no. Normally, it isn't normal. However, the situation we're in, it's very normal." America said, scratching the back of his head.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, the four began to feel somewhat uncomfortable. "Weapons...here in Chicago." America murmured as they wandered around. "What do you know?"

"So how are we supposed to find these weapons and destroy them?" France asked.

"Well, I don't know about you, but back at Guangzhou, Korea and Hungary helped me attract attention by making a lot of noise." America said.

"But we're not here to get captured." England said. "Look where that got us."

America wagged a finger at England. "Yeah, but the Best Buds Group started because of that! We're heading towards friendshipness!"

England sighed. "It's just 'friendship', America. There's no such word as 'friendshipness'."

"Yes there is."

"No, there isn't."

"Well in _my_ book it is."

England gave America a perplexed look. "What kind of books do you read?"

"Ve, did you guys hear that?" Italy asked suddenly, clinging onto France's arm.

America glanced around. Nervously, he asked, "Uh, what did you hear Italy?"

"I don't know. It sounded like someone's watching us!"

"Watching someone makes a sound?" England asked.

"Oh England, you know what he means." France said. But France too had an uneasy look. "I feel like something bad is about to happen. Just be quiet, okay? I'm telling you, there's something dark out there."

"Well, the lights _are_ out after all-" America was saying but he jumped as a few crows cawed out, flying over head.

"The sun's almost out though." England said, pointing to the yellow-pink horizon. Crossing his arms, he said wearily, "Besides, there shouldn't be anything to be afraid about. If it was night then I'd be worried but it's nearly day so don't fret."

"Easy for you to say!" America said, stepping closer to the others. He looked visibly shaken. "You haven't watched any horror movies lately!"

England threw up his hands in exasperation. "You've been watching them with Canada, haven't you?"

"Who?"

England stared at America; it was bad enough that he forgot Canada, but to have America, who was Canada's own brother, forget about him too, England coudln't help but feel bad for the little guy.

Fortunately, America remember that he had a brother seconds later and his face brightened. "Ohhh, yeah, Canada! Well, we were watching all the Saw movies and man, that is a scary movie series!"

"Why watch horror when you can watch romantic ones?" France asked America. "They are much more entertaining-"

"Oh the lot of you, shut up." England scolded. "Let's keep moving. There isn't anything around here."

And so the four moved on. The sun started to rise and the new sky was a light blue, a sky too light and cheerful for a situation they were in. It was as if the sky denied that anything bad will come to them, and even though everything seemed normal (or normal as it could get), they all knew that something was bound to happen.

France had made sure that England had his full energy in case they ran into trouble and France also made Italy promise that if things looked bad, he would have to flee back to Germany's immediately.

"By myself?" Italy asked fearfully.

Before France could answer, America popped in. "Nothing will happen." America said, trying to assure Italy. "And if something happened then I, being the Hero, will make sure you get to safety without being alone!"

"And how is that supposed to happen?" France asked.

"Uhhh...oh look, a penny!" America left the conversation and knelt down to examine a penny that saved him from coming up with a near impossible promise.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, the four were walking along the edge of the lake, kicking stones and whatever was in front of their feet.

"It's so uneventful." England murmured.

"Agreed." France said.

"Ve, can we go back to the boat and eat lunch?" Italy asked hopefully.

America shaded his eyes with his hand, glancing around. "You know we can always go and eat at one of my restaurants."

"You mean fast food?" France asked, raising an eyebrow in America's direction.

"Uh, well, yeah dude, I'm America."

Italy tugged at America's arm. "America, I have that bad feeling again."

England stopped and looked at Italy. "Now that you mention it Italy, I feel it too."

America glanced back and forth between Italy and England. "Guys, if this is a joke, it's not funny." he said nervously. When niether one of them broke out laughing and teasing America for being scared, he started to raise his voice a little. "Guys? This is a joke, right? You guys make it seem too scary!"

"America, whose doppelganger do you think it is?" France asked, sending suspicious looks around them.

America's stomach sunk. He too felt the dark aura. Uneasy, he suggested that they just keep walking calmly. _Dang it! We can't find the hideout without running into one of those doppelgangers? We're supposed to be all secret and spy-like!_

England perked and hissed, "It's here." He turned to face behind them and the other three did too.

The doppelganger calmly walked towards them, stopping a mere five feet away. His dark red eyes gleamed brilliantly and his smile, though seemingly good natured, had a smirk-like attitude towards it.

"Good morrow, gentlemen." Dark England said slyly. "I pray you came prepared."


	32. The Game

America remembered England trying to explain to him what Shakespeare had meant when America was little. Instead of normal short bedtime stories, England would often read scenes and acts from William Shakespeare's works. Being little at the time, America had no idea what England was talking about half the time. So yes, America wasn't too fond of that sort of English.

But it didn't take a genius to figure out what Dark England has said.

"How now?" Dark England asked, cocking his head a little. "Why bear the mask of perturbation? Thy looks betray thine anticipation."

"Holy hamburgers," America groaned. "He rhymes too!"

Dark England gave America a cold look but showed no sign of attacking. Yet. "Hold thy tongue, I pray." he said icily. "Or, if thou wilt not, thou shalt play."

"Play what?" England demanded, ignoring the slightly puzzled looks from the others.

America sucked in air sharply. "You wanna play a game? A game? Dude, this is totally like those Saw movies I saw last week! This is not cool, man, so not cool!"

"T'is not much." another voice said. It was still England's voice, but niether Dark England nor England spoke. America glanced behind them and gaped at another Dark England coming towards them. "One game, just the one."

"There are _two _of you?" America and France asked England, astounded.

"There are two of me?" England stared at the new Dark England.

"Nay," his voice said from a new direction. Another Dark England stepped out from behind the first. "Replicas of thy replica, we all are you."

Several more appeared, and while America wondered how there were so many, England answered his question instantly. "You're using my magic to create copies of yourself."

"_Our_ magic." they corrected calmly.

"This isn't very manly." France retorted. "All of you fighting us, it's not fair." There were more than a dozen of Dark Englands now. Many of them were casually poised; a couple of Dark Englands sat on a near by bench, legs crossed and arms folded. A few were facing each other as if having a pleasant conversation, paying no attention to the real nations at all. Some were leaning against the trees by the road and a couple sat on the grass, picking at the green blades, bored.

"So many..." Italy murmured. America immeditately stepped in front of Italy, arms spread out protectively.

"Fight, sirrah?" Dark England number one (was it number one? They could have all shifted and moved places without any of them realizing it) asked, amused. "Sweet blood, staining the aged Gaea from your famished bullets, of which doth take valued life, mortal treasure, and dirty ourselves with rowdy frays and violent plays. T'is energy wasted when naked words alone overthrows victory."

America frowned at the Dark England that talked. "Wait...could you repeat that?"

"You idiot," England scowled at America. "He's saying that they don't need to fight when they can just talk us down."

America cracked his knuckles. "Oh, so you all think you can trash talk me? Bro, I'm the King of Trash talk! Uh, but let me warm up a bit, I don't really usually trash talk unless I'm like, really pissed off."

"Skainsmate, thou art." Dark England number unknown scolded America. "Rebelious subject, enemy to my citizens and citizens overseas. Foolish talk of freedom when thou knowest not of freedom. Unrestrained to heed, breathe once an airy word and thy gun is drawn, loaded, eager to be shot."

America blinked blankly at Dark England. "What's a skainsmate?"

"He's technically calling you a gangster." England told America sharply. "I'd agree with him if he wasn't an enemy."

America gave England a slightly offended look. "Well I'm not that rowdy, am I?"

"Stop arguing." France said urgently. "You'll get us killed if you two keep fussing."

"They won't kill us." England scolded. "They kill us, they kill themselves." Then he snapped his head around to face the Dark England that had talked to them. "So a game, is it? Alright you bloody doppelganger...s. What are we playing?"

The Dark Englands then all looked at the real England, a knowing smile plastered onto their faces. "I pray, have you kept record of the original copy?"

"Original copy, so, the real doppelganger, right?" America asked England for confirmation. When England nodded bitterly, America exclaimed, "Then how are we supposed to play the game? I don't know which is which!"

"The point exactly." England said to America in a low tone. "So we have to find the real Dark England, right? How do we determine that?"

"We'll tell." Dark England number unknown said lightly. "I am a man of mine word."

France tilted his head towards Engand and whispered, "So what, do we go ask them all who is who?"

"No, sir." a Dark England said. France stared at him in disbelief, not seeing how he could have heard. "Promises made are promises kept; truth spoken is truthfully spoke. But a promise to speak is a promise not made. Approach if thou wilt but provoke us, and provoke thou surely wilt, and we haven't the fear to provoke back."

Before America, France, or Italy could say anything, England muttered, "They say that they'll tell the truth but they won't talk, so we won't know. We have to approach them, and I think that means fight in this situation, but if we do, they fight back."

"I thought they said they don't want to fight!" Italy cried in alarm.

England frowned. "When I mean 'they', I think I might have meant in general."

"Oh great, so now we have to fight them?" America groaned. "Dude, that's gonna take forever."

"Continuance of the play shant happen. Once approached, once defended. Twice approached, twice defended. Approached not, defended not." a few Dark Englands said coolly.

The four were surrounded; there was no escape and if the doppelgangers allowed them to get to the ones that strayed from the group and try to escape from there, they would surely follow in a dangerous pursuit. From what they got, if they hit once, they'll get hit back once but the doppelganger and the doppelganger's doppelgangers wouldn't continue to fight. France and America found it silly; how would that help them find the real doppelganger and when they found the real one, what good will it do? Why did Dark England even want to play the game anyway?

Or was he just stalling?

Gritting his teeth, England yelled, "Alright, we'll play your game! We'll find the real one and we'll win!"

"Ve, England!" Italy yelled out. "How are you going to do it? There's too many!"

America tapped his chin, trying to let his panicky feelings subside. "Let's try to think logically." America said nervously.

"Logically, huh?" France asked. "How smart of you America. A strategy here will be best, non?"

England surveyed the doppelgangers around them. None of them were paying attention to them anymore. The game has started and if Dark England was stalling, then they better become un-stalled. If he was the original in a crowd of fakes, he would probably be the one farthest away from whoever was hunting you down. Looking for the furthest doppelganger, England nudged America in the ribs and whispered his idea to him.

France and Italy leaned in to listen to England and France's eyes shone. "Ah, mon cher, you are bright indeed! And to think that I thought you weren't as big as you say you are."

England gave France an irritated look. "I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult. Perhaps the latter?"

While France started to argue with England, America dashed towards the Dark England furthest away from them. That Dark England was at the shore of Lake Michigan, standing in ankle deep water. He had his hands stuffed into his pockets and he seemed to be staring at the sky.

America thought that he'd be able to catch that Dark England by surprise; he balled his right hand into a fist and prepared to deal a blow to Dark England.

But Dark England suddenly ducked underneath the blow and swept his leg under America, lifting him off his feet. America landed on the sand, stunned at the speed of Dark England. Dark England glanced down at him, laughter dancing in his eyes. "Thou art loud. Thy footsteps matches well with the powerful thunder sans power."

America got up to his feet, brushing the wet sand from his pants. "Are you the real one?" he asked sulkily, upset that he didn't even land a blow.

"Dost thou think I tell so easily?"

America stared at him for a while. "Well, you're avoiding an answer. If you said yes, then you'd give yourself away. If you say no then I can count you off the list and it narrows it down."

That Dark England raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

America paused, thinking. And then, out of nowhere, he punched Dark England in the face. He heard a crack and his knuckles instantly became bloody. The Dark England he punched stumbled back quickly but retaliated. Luckily, America wasn't hit; he knew that Dark England's instincts would kick in and if he was him, a punch would be the first thing in mind. He was right; Dark England punched but he only punched the air above America.

The Dark England scowled but didn't fight on, just like the other copies of Dark England had said. America wanted to stay and jeer but he thought better of it and left, still wondering which was the real Dark England.

America found that England and Italy were gone from where they last were and France was the one who remained. While America told his story, England and Italy went to confront another Dark England. England had thought that if he wouldn't be the furthest one away, he would be the one higher up; the height advantage.

There was one perched on top of a tree branch, swinging his legs at a leisurely pace. The Dark Englands around the tree watched as England and Italy approached but they didn't do anything. England glared at the one perched on the branch and the Dark England up there glared back at him, as if challenging him to do something.

"Ve..." Italy worriedly looked between the real England and the fake on the branch. England had asked him to come with him but he wasn't sure why. Honestly, Italy would rather be back home eating pasta with Romano, Germany, and Japan. But then again, he remembered he was in the Best Buds Group and he wanted them to join in as well (Japan was already in the group anyway).

The thought about eating pasta with his friends was a happy though, and Italy slipped a smile.

The Dark Englands around him tensed a little, as if disgusted by the warm smile. They looked away from Italy and focused on the welcomed glare of England.

"Good sir, what business dost thou have here?" the Dark England on the branch asked coldly. "Why art thou here when thou could be thither?" He pointed to the mass crowd of Dark Englands loitering on the road. "If thou art sentient, thou wilt return."

"Yes, well, you see, it's much too cramped over there." England muttered, glancing back. "It's much more roomier here. And besides, you have an advantage."

Dark England's face didn't show any sign of emotion. He merely looked down at England and Italy with a fierce look of indifference, but it varied from here and there. There would be signs of irritation and heartless mirth.

England drew his gun and aimed at Dark England. The Dark Englands around them scoffed at him but said nothing more. The Dark England that England was aiming at blinked at the gun. "How now? Thou hast drawn but stalls to do damage? What man art thee if thou art truly a man?"

"What man? Why, I'm a gentleman, of course." England said.

Italy clapped his hands over his ears as England pulled the trigger. The Dark England that had been shot attacked back by sending a flash of light towards them. England saw it coming and pushed Italy out of the way while the Dark England's magic cut a long gash into his chest. It wasn't deep, luckily, but it still stung.

As Italy hurriedly asked if England was okay, England stared up at the Dark England on the branch. That Dark England's wound didn't heal.


	33. Captured

Like the Dark Englands had promised, the Dark England that England shot didn't continue to attack. As his blood dripped down from his arm where he was shot, Dark England scowled at England and Italy. "Here lays the grave of my assumption, the assumption of which I believed to be true ere thou shot. T'is knowledge I gravely admit I knew not."

England narrowed his eyes at that Dark England and then at the other Dark Englands that surrounded the base of the tree. For some odd reason, they were somewhat stunned. "You mean to tell me that you didn't know that you won't heal? The fake ones are the ones that don't heal..." England added under his breath. A smirk tugged at his lips. "Thank you for the hint."

The Dark Englands made a movement towards England and Italy; England scowled and steped in front of Italy protectively. "Forgotten your promise, haven't you?" England scolded. "Aren't you-no, _we_, men of our word? Willing to break that promise already? You men don't portray me very well, do you?"

The Dark Englands glared at the real one, but they didn't do anything. England nodded at them sharply. "Right then. I bid you good day. Italy, come on. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Korea stared at the ground. He was put into a cell hours after he had been taken from Guangzhou. Where he was at, he had no idea. All he knew that he was not in Guangzhou anymore, and he was willing to bet a lot of money that he was no where near headquarters.<p>

Sighing, he reached up to prod at his long curly strand of hair that always seemed to stick up. His boss had told him that the single strand was the spirit of him and his people, and he was usually in good spirits. Now, it was much more lower and it uncurled; instead, Korea could have sworn it looked even a little shriveled.

Korea groaned. "If only Aniki could hear about this, da-ze. He'd be so mad that they captured me that he'd charge around the world to find me, da-ze."

Hours after he arrived at his cell, he would hear the doppelgangers bring in more people. Korea knew they weren't doppelgangers that were being taken in, but real nations because they were protesting and sneering about the doppelganger's existence and actions and practically anything else. Korea could have sworn he picked up Taiwan's voice but he wasn't so sure if he really heard her or he had imagined it. If only he had some kimchi to give him some energy, even if it's a little bit...

The cell door to his cell wall slid open. Korea looked up as the Netherlands and Thailand were thrown in. They both grunted as they hit the floor. Dark Japan had pased to examine their faces for a while and then his malevolent eyes flickered to Korea. Korea shuddered at the sheer hatred, and quite literally too, before Dark Japan backed out and slammed the cell door shut, locking it.

Korea had expected a hum of the electricity to start back on, but it didn't. He blinked. Was the electricity already off? He must have been so accustomed to it that he didn't even notice it was gone until now. Normally he'd gone over to the bars and poke it to make sure-what's a little poke?- but the Netherlands and Thailand sat up slowly, holding their heads.

Korea decided to ask them what was going on. Inside, he was relieved he wasn't alone. But he was somewhat anxious to see them captured. "Uhhh, guys, da-ze?" Korea asked nervously as he crawled over to help his brother Thailand brush off the dirt from his back. "What happened, da-ze?"

Korea and Thailand glanced at the Netherlands to see if he would answer first but he didn't say a word. The Netherlands met their gaze for a brief moment but he looked away with a heavy sigh, sticking his hands into his pockets.

"Ana..." Thailand said pensively. "I don't really know what happened, ana. Last thing I remember, I was with Mexico but something happened and I woke up a few minutes ago, ana."

Korea frowned and rubbed his chin. "Do you know where we are, da-ze?"

Thailand adjusted his glasses and said uncertainly, "I think we're in America, ana. I saw some English on some of the signs on the way in, ana. We could be in England but I'm not sure, ana..."

"Well, who else is here, da-ze?"

"A lot of people, ana."

Korea's shoulders slumped. "Define a lot, da-ze."

Thailand thought it over. "More than one, ana." he joked.

Korea grinned. "Really? I would have never guessed, da-ze. But seriously, how many, da-ze?"

"Probably about twenty to thirty, ana."

Korea frowned and fell backwards so that he would lie flat on his back. After a few minutes of thinking, Korea said, "I have an idea."

"Ana...it's a good one, right?"

Korea flashed Thailand a bright smile. "It can be, da-ze. Is Aniki here too?"

Thailand shrugged. The Netherlands finally looked at Korea and said, "China's in the next cell."

Korea pointed to the right. "That one, da-ze?"

"No."

Korea pointed to the left. "That one, da-ze."

The Netherlands sighed. "It's the only direction left. Of course."

"Ah, but there's always that way, da-ze." Korea pointed towards the cell door. "And there's always that way, da-ze." He pointed upwards.

"There's no cell over there, ana." Thailand said. "And this is only one story, I think, ana."

Korea glanced at Thaland and then at the Netherlands. "Well thanks for smashing my dreams, da-ze."

"That wasn't a dream." the Netherlands said in a low voice. He sighed again and said, "There are a lot of countries here, and we need to get out. From what I see, there are more of us than them."

Thailand nodded enthusiastically. "That's right, ana. If we can get everyone out, we can overpower them, ana."

Korea's eyes flashed eagerly. "That was _my_ plan, da-ze! I thought up of it, da-ze. You're welcom-"

The Netherlands shot Korea a small look and Korea faltered a little. "There's no time to claim rights." he said. "Is there anything we can do to get out of here?"

Thailand walked over to the cell door and gripped the bars, peering to the left and then the right. It was oddly silent; wasn't there just twenty or thirty other countries around? What happened to them all?

Thailand glanced to the left when he heard footsteps and his face fell. Korea and the Netherlands noticed his sudden graveness and went to his side. "Thailand, da-ze. What's wrong, da-ze?" Korea asked. He stared at Thailand's face nervously.

Then out of the corner of Korea's eyes, a dark figure stepped towards them. Korea sighed heavily. "Of course, da-ze. It's always you guys, da-ze. Okay, now which one are y-" Korea stopped. "Oh _come on_, da-ze!"

Dark England raised one bushy eyebrow at Korea. "How now? Thou art weary of me? Not a second past ere thou breathe so tiringly."

Korea stared at Dark England. "What, da-ze?"

"Hear you not? A deaf ear thou hadst turned upon me."

Korea glanced at Thailand. Thailand shrugged and then both of them glanced at the Netherlands, but if he understood what Dark England said, he didn't show it. He merely glared at Dark England.

Dark England sighed heavily. "No one man understands me? What good shame."

"Shame is a good thing, ana?" Thailand whispered to the others.

Dark England snapped his attention to Thailand. "Art thou not Siam?"

Thailand smiled humbly. "Ana, I haven't been called that in a long time."

Dark England huffed. "Thy former suits you." Then he bent down and reached past the bars, grabbing a hold of Thailand's collar. He pulled Thailand up to the bar and said in a low voice, "Speak. How fares Malaysia?"

Thailand's face darkened as Dark England smirked. His smirk disappeared when Korea and the Netherlands grabbed a hold of Dark England by reaching past the bars and holding onto his collar.

There was a small silence before Dark England said calmly, "Release me, gentlemen."

Korea laughed darkly. "Oh, I don't know about you, but I'm not gentle." Korea glanced at the Netherlands. The Netherlands caught his eye and nodded. Then, together, they yanked at Dark England's collar as hard as they could and Dark England's head collided into the bars with a gruesome crack.

Thailand was released and he fell back, staring in horror. Korea asked if Thailand was okay and the Netherlands only watched indiffrently as Dark England's head started to heal.

* * *

><p>China had heard Korea, Thailand, and the Netherlands talk and he heard Dark England converse with them. Their tones then had darkened and he grimaced as a loud sound that sounded like bones cracking echoed in the hall.<p>

The other countries were dead silent, waiting for something to happen. With China, he had Greece and Finland, both staring at the wall to their right. Something had happened in the cell right to them, and whatever it was, China hoped that it wasn't very bad. ut then again, everything was starting to look bad anyway.

The three listened as Dark England scowled at them, but they weren't sure what he was exactly saying. All they heard was that Dark England was biting his thumb at them multiple times, whatever that meant.

When Dark England left them, the countries around them started to talk again. From far away, China heard Belgium ask, "What do we do now?"

"We get out out, da-ze!" Korea's voice chirped.

"How?" asked Mexico from the cell to the left of China, Greece, and Finland's.

"Uh, search for something to break the bars or something, da-ze? It can't be too hard, da-ze."

"Have you seen the bars?" Finland asked, gripping the metal bars. "My fingertips barely touch one another."

There was a small silence. "Maybe they're hollow." the Netherlands suggested. "They may be thick, but they may be hollow."

China stood up. "Hollow, aru? Well..." China cracked his knuckles. "Let's see, aru!" He got into position and kicked at the bars. If he could kick walls over, he could definitely snap a couple of bars.

Only, he didn't, and he hopped away after the loud metallic _clang, _his foot vibrating in a not so pleasant manner. "Aiya..." China groaned. "I can't, aru."

Groans echoed in the hall. "Aiya, at least praise me for trying, aru!" China exclaimed.

* * *

><p><em>It's been a while since I've done a small history lesson, yes?<em>

_Well, anyway, the deal with England, Thailand (Siam), and Malaysia was that England and Thailand signed the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 that states that they would share control of Malaysia, technically. I'll assume that Thailand regrets that and since Dark England brough it back up, I bet it made Thailand feel worse._

_Ana, don't worry Thailand!_


	34. Foul Play

America stared at England and France as they argued in the middle of Dark Englands. Honestly, America didn't know how the two could be fighting at a time like this, but then again, it was England and France, and when you put those two together into a sentence, it's usually not a good thing.

What they were arguing about, America didn't know either. He only knew that England and Italy returned to them ('them' being America and France), England brought up that the fakes couldn't heal.

And thenn France mentioned something about how England was implying that they'd all attack and see which is the real one, and that process was suicidal. And then England snapped at France, saying that he wasn't implying that at all, not really.

"_Not really_, he says." France had groaned. "_I'm not implying that at all_, he says."

And the rest was history.

"Hey, dudes..." America said weakly, not really wanting to get involved with England and France's heated argument. "Can't we win the game first and then fight? I mean, I dunno about you but we need to get out of here quickly."

England sent a final glare to France and then he huffed, "Fine. But like I said, I'm not saying that _we_ should openly attack. That's a mistake we can't afford. Instead, I'll have my own set of clones to attack for us."

"You're cloning yourself?" America asked excitedly. "Dude, that's gonna be awesome! But, uh, how?"

England sighed. "My doppelganger isn't the only one who has magic, you know." He swept their surroundings with his eyes, meeting several suspicious Dark Englands' gazes. England grinned at them; they didn't say anything about him not using his own magic, and mind you he was anxious to get out of there.

England was particularly relieved that his doppelganger wasn't too much of a fighter; he was able to relax and think things through instead of being forced to think upon the moment. When given time, England was sure he knew what to do.

And so he cast his spells and one by one, several copies of himself-all of which have the same green eyes he had and not the dark, sinister red. The Dark Englands scowled at the Englands, and the Englands smirked at their scowls.

America, France, and Italy had never felt so out of place before; they would have asked England what he planned for _them_ to do (because standing around doing nothing didn't seem very heroic according to America) but they couldn't remember which England was the real one.

That is, until one of them spoke. "Alright men," England said, a cunning smile tugging at his lips. "Let's find the real bloody bastard, eh?"

The Dark Englands were no longer leisurely enjoying the early morning. They all turned towards the Englands, America, France, and Italy. The ones who were sitting down stood up. The ones who were lying stomach down on the ground rose slowly, eyeing the Englands, America, France, and Italy. They were all surrounded, and they were surrounded rather tightly.

"There's no room to move." Italy whispered to an England. He wasn't sure if it was the right one, and chances are he wasn't, but that England told Italy that he didn't have to worry.

"Besides, you don't have to do anything but stand there." that England said. "Although there might be a few ducking and dodging; I can't babysit you all the time."

At first, it was silent. America could barely hold his eagerness in. It was exactly like a scene in a movie. The air was filled with tension, and you could just feel like something big is going to happen. Long, aggravating seconds passed and America feared that instead of tension, awkwardness will take its place. Maybe that 'something big' was just England exagerating, even though England really never said anything about 'something big'.

Then something big happened.

The first few blasts of brightly colored lights flew across the air and singed America's Nantucket. Hasitly patting his Nantucket to put out whatever embers might be left over, America grabbed onto Italy's wrist and pulled him to the side and out of the crowd of Englands and Dark Englands.

France did a small double take before linking arms with Italy, not wanting to be alone in the swarm of Dark Englands and Englands. That was a nightmare France did not want to partake in.

Several bolts of magic shot past their heads, narrowly missing them by centimeters. One stray blue one nearly nailed Italy but an England slid in front of Italy and yelled something that America couldn't catch, but whatever that England yelled, the offensive blue bolt was instantly deflected by an invisible force.

"If only I can get this on film." America said wistfully. "I'd so post this on the internet." Then he cocked his head thoughtfully. "Yo England! Need any help?"

The Englands stopped attacking, eyeing the Dark Englands for a moment. The Dark Englands kept their promise and kept at bay, but they never took their gaze off of the Englands.

"No, I can take care of this myself." one of the Englands said, probably the real one. Quite a bit of the Dark Englands were bloody, but not very. England said that he didn't want to waste magic and overdo things when a simple scratch that was deep enough for a Dark England to bleed would suffice.

"Narrowing them down, oui?" France asked for confirmation. "Pas mal, mon ami."

The Englands glanced at each other, grinning maniacally. It seemed as if England and the other Englands had realized how much easier this could be, and there was nothing that the real Dark England could do about it. A few of them faded into the air; England had released a few of them to preserve his magical powers. For once, America wished he could have something of the sort as well. Just for a minute.

The process started over again, but the Englands carefully sought out the Dark Englands that hadn't been hit. America, Italy, and France merely sat on a near by bench, waiting for England to finish the elimination process.

But after the majority of the Dark Englands were marked with their blood and only a few left unscathed, the three started to worry. Where was the real one? What were the odds of the real one being the last one England hit and they wasted so much time trying to find him. And then there was that pesky question about what the real Dark England would do if they _did_ find him.

America glanced at Italy, whose empty yet worried expression was fixed right at the remainder of the Dark Englands who were unscathed. Then America glanced at France, who had his arms and legs crossed impatiently, but his lips were pulled into a deep frown.

"America..." France said slowly. "You don't think...ah, but I may be wrong...but moi, wrong? But then again...ah..."

"Let me guess," America said, interrupting France's mini self-conflict. "The real Dark England isn't here, is it?"

France was grave. "Oui."

America sighed and leaned back, throwing his hands behind his head and keeping them there, watching as the last few volleys of bolts and spells rebounded off each other, clashing in mid air to create a series of little fireworks.

* * *

><p>England could feel his magic seeping away as he gritted his teeth with five of his other copies he kept around. The last two Dark Englands kept on successfully deflecting their spells, and once the Dark England on the left had summoned some sort of mischievious sprite-pizie thing. It flew over him and his copies, sprinkling them with some sort of dust. All of them had suddenly felt weakened, but luckily one of his copies hit the sprite-pixie thing with a spell and the thing exploded into flames.<p>

Even though England had summoned many things, one being Russia, he had never seen such a creature as that...thing. It made him wonder what other unknown magic his doppelganger could have up his sleeve.

So when England went over that Dark Englands, making sure that they had an open wound, and narrowed them down to two Dark Englands. By now he was anxious for two reasons; one, after going through so many Dark Englands and still not hitting the right one made it seem as if the real one wasn't even there. And two, he had spent quite a bit of time playing the game and he still suspected Dark England was delaying them for a reason.

The spell flinging ceased for a while; there was no use in trying to hit them when they kept on deflecting spells and bolts and whatnot. England would only be wasting magic if he did pushed on.

"Only two left..." one of England's copies hissed. "And to think that it would take this much effort."

The Dark Englands were silent, giving each other a sideways glance. Then the one on the left spoke. "What is a villain?"

England and the other Englands stared at the Dark England that spoke. "What?" they all asked dumbly.

The Dark England that had spoken forced a hollow laugh. "Ay me, the hatreds were right."

"A thought, a thought...A thought unwelcomed but a thought that is true. Villains are we, t'is not? What ho! What sorrow! Contradicting us, oh terrible thought, oh wretched statement. The other hatreds are right. What men are we?" the other Dark England groaned.

"What do you mean?" England asked coldly. "What did the other doppelgangers tell you that you refuse to accept?"

The Dark England on the right scowled. "Peace, peace. Thou art an anxious hare."

The other Dark England snickered. "A hare? How is it that he is a hare? Think ere thou speak."

"If he isn't a hare, then he is a bawd." the Dark England on the right proclaimed.

"A bawd without hares!" the other laughed uproariously.

England's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. How dare they! "You gits have a horrible sense of humor." England growled.

"What ho! The bawd speaks!" the left Dark England said.

One of England's copies snapped, "Stop fooling around, you idiots! What did the other doppelgangers tell you?"

The Dark Englands stopped laughing and then their mirth faded from their faces. "What men are we to withdraw ourselves from our words? My word is false; the rules, changed." the right Dark England said in a low voice.

"Ay, ay. Once approached, many times defended."

"Defended and defended until thou can not play. Behold, gentlemen, that is a villain. A man so cold, so dishonorable, to fairly play. A man who plays ill, foul, so that he attains his goal."

"Do forgive," the left Dark England said with a small sigh. "By and by, though wilt encounter many villains so tricky and crafty to fool other fools. But t'is not the time."

All of a sudden, all the Dark Englands, even the ones wounded, faced the Englands. England glanced around for a second and then his gaze landed on America, Italy, and France, who were standing up now, alarmed at the broken promise. A hiss escaped England's lips as the Dark Englands started to glow with their-no, _his_- magic.

"Good sir."

England turned to the right Dark England, who was watching him. The right Dark England looked dissatisfied with going back on his word but he was going to anyway.

"Many times sorry, but goals are ne'er reached unless we play foul; villains we truly are, not worthy of being called a man, for a man stays true. Gentlemen..." The right Dark England addressed England, the other Englands, America, Italy, and France. "Have at thee."

* * *

><p><em>Not necessarily a history lesson, but more of an English lesson here. <em>

_According to my Literature textbook, a 'hare' meant a prostitute back then and a 'bawd' was someone who owns or manages them. _

_Now do you get why the Dark Englands were laughing at their own jokes? _

_Correct me if I'm wrong about it (because I too believe that some of my textbooks are quite wrong, especially my math textbook) and I'll try to fix it. _


	35. Advantages

Korea and the others were dead silent when they heard a loud explosion in the background somewhere. It sounded like it was a couple of miles away, but the explosion was loud enough to cut their sentences in half.

One full minute passed them quietly; no one said anything.

Then Finland nervously said, "What do you guys think that is?"

"An explosion, da-ze." Korea said at once. "What else can it be?"

Silence. Then China growled, "An explosion, aru? I would have never guessed it."

* * *

><p>America was temporarily distracted by a loud explosion coming from the west. At first he was afraid that one of the Dark Englands had exploded them to bits. When he found out he was still intact, he realized that it wasn't from the Dark Englands but rather, somewhere else.<p>

Because America was distracted, he received a blinding flash of light in his eyes and he stumbled around, trying to see what was going on. In his brief moment of blindness he was jumped by several Dark Englands. "Get off of me!" he yelled, punching in whichever direction he wanted to.

"You bloody git, stop hitting me!" England's voice yelled.

America blinked several times, his sight returning to him. "Oh, sorry bro." America was sure that he wasn't talking to the real England, but it didn't really matter then. What mattered most was beating the living shit out of the Dark Englands. He's beaten England a few times and he can do it again!

That's what he kept telling himself after picking himself off the ground so many times.

"Stop playing around and start fighting back!" an England scolded America, shooting a blast of red light towards a green one so that they'd collide and dissolve into the air. Then he bent down and helped America up. "Honestly, what's gotten into you?" that England asked. Then a shot of yellow rammed him in the side and he was forced off his feet, tumbling on his side a few feet away.

"England!" America yelled. "Or uh, England copy! Dude, you okay?"

But that England went out of America's sight when scuffles moved in and blocked him. Oh well; it was most likely a clone of England. No biggie.

But America was concerned about how many times he had been beaten. How come England didn't use magic during the Revolutionary War? It would have preared America for this event, but then again he doubt that he could have won the war if England used magic.

The Dark Englands had range, and America couldn't get close enough. If only guns would work on doppelgangers.

But wait, they do! At least, for the copies of the real Dark England. "Finally an advantage." America said to himself.

Minutes later, a lot of the Dark Englands fell after several gun shots, unable to get back up because they were either being constantly shot at or America shot them so much that their limbs ripped off from the sheer force of the bullets.

It was a gruesome and yet somewhat hilarious scene. The clones were still 'alive' but they couldn't get up. Then they started to yell at America in archaic English, but America wasn't offended at all. It helped that he didn't know what they were saying anyway.

Laughing, America said, "_Now_ we're getting somewhere!"

* * *

><p>Korea and the others now knew what the explosion was. Dark Italy was in Chicago and he 'slipped' that they were testing out the weapons they had gotten from China and North Korea.<p>

"But I thought you didn't want to attack headquarters, da-ze!" Korea exclaimed angrily.

Dark Italy laughed. "We're aren't. We're preparing."

"For what?" Belgium asked.

"Ve...something."

When Dark Italy left (he was there only to count the countries; Dark Italy counted to 29, sounding somewhat satisfied), China said, "That's not good, aru. We need to get out, aru."

"The bars aren't electrified, da-ze." Korea murmured. "We can't break it easily...I wonder if more than one person tries to break them will work, da-ze."

"Well let's try it, ana." Thailand said. He stood up, brushed off the dirt from his pants, and examined the bars.

Korea popped up from the ground and joined Thailand at the bars, striking the bars playfully. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the other countries coming up to the bars.

"We can still break it." the Netherlands said, coming up to Thailand's left. He tugged at the bars, frowning. Then he knocked on it. A hollow sound rang out and the Netherlands actually smirked. "Not a problem for three of us combined."

Korea grinned. "You thinking what I'm thinking, da-ze?"

"Ana, we have to be as discreet as possible or they'll come back." Thailand said, but he couldn't help but smile.

"Eh, forget them, da-ze." Korea said. "There's too many of us right here. They can't do a thing, da-ze."

"Korea, we're locked up, ana. Even if some of us get out, the others can't do a thing, ana."

Korea laughed. "We'd just break them out then. No need to worry, da-ze! Ready Netherlands? On the count of three, we kick it, da-ze. One, da-ze...two, da-ze...three-da-ze!"

* * *

><p>Germany frowned at the chalkboard and then at the computers. He was somewhat glad that his kick earlier didn't break the board because it was the only information they had. It wasn't accurate though; chances are that the majority of the information on that board would be changed. There are many more missing and he had no idea who was where.<p>

"It's the best we have right now." Turkey sighed, leaning back in his chair. "It's not like we have the computers on you know."

The lights flickered back on, the hum of the air conditioner started up again, and the computer monitors blinked on. Germany and Turkey stared at the computers and then at each other.

"Ahahahaha!" Turkey laughed loudly, holding his sides. "Ahhh...man, am I magic or what?"

"What happened?" Germany murmured to himself, scratching his head. "How did the electricity turn on all of a sudden?"

* * *

><p>Korea groaned with Thailand after they've been electrocuted. They had felt a sharp tingling sensation whenever they made contact with the bars and it caused the three to stumble backwards, numb from the shock.<p>

"What a time for the cell bars to start shocking people, ana." Thailand sighed.

"What are the odds of that?" the Netherlands muttered.

"Crap, da-ze." Korea groaned. "Now we need another escape plan, da-ze."

On the other side of their cell wall, towards their left, China glanced at Greece and Finland. "Their bars are electrified, aru. Are ours, aru?"

Greece leaned in towards the bars and nodded his head. "I can hear the buzz." he said. Then he turned his head to the left and called into the next cell. "What about your bars, Mexico?"

Mexico glanced back at his cellmates, Sweden and Iceland. Sweden was in the corner, arms folded across his chest, shooting a cold gaze towards their bars. Iceland crept up to Mexico and asked, "Do you think the bars on ours are electrified too?" Iceland's puffin shifted on Iceland's shoulder a little, glancing around.

Mexico didn't dare try to touch the bar with his bare hand. He did what Greece did and leaned in to listen. The buzz was there alright.

"Si, our bars are electrified." Mexico confirmed, leaning back out.

Belgium, Taiwan, and Lithuania in the next cell over said that their cell too had electrified bars and so did Ukraine, Romania, and Egypt in the other.

"What now?" Taiwan asked.

China picked at the seam of his sleeve, thinking. When he heard Iceland's puffin squawk, he lifted his head, a lightbulb flickering on. "Iceland, aru!"

Iceland jumped at the sudden call of his name. "Y-yeah?"

"Your bird can fly through the bars and find a key, aru!"

Iceland was about to say something when his puffin squawked and said with irritation, "What am I, a golden retriever?"

"It talks!" Mexico exclaimed, staring at the bird.

The puffin glanced at Mexico and said, "'It' has a name, you know, and it's Mr. Puffin."

China crawled to the left side of his cell and tried to peer into their cell. "Whatever, aru. Mr. Puffin, go fly through the bars and try to get us free, aru."

Mr. Puffin ruffled his wings for a moment and then looked at Iceland. "I have to confess. I haven't been following that diet plan you gave me so I might not fit-"

"Just go through already." Iceland chided.

"You want me to shock myself until I die? I told you, I might not fit-"

"_Mr. Puffin_."

Mr. Puffin clicked his tongue. "Sheesh, alright, alright, I'm going." He squawked once more and then hopped off of Iceland's shoulder. He gave Iceland a long look and then he stared at the bars. "You know, I'm kinda tired. Maybe tom-"

"Mr. Puffin, aru!" China exclaimed from his cell. "If you go now I'll give you treats, aru!"

Mr. Puffin cocked his head. "The good kind?"

Iceland frowned. "What do you mean 'the good kind'? Are you saying you don't like the treats I give you?"

"I've tasted better." Mr, Puffin hopped to the bars and stuck a wing through it before retracting it quickly. "You know, you know, maybe later. I'll work out all day today, lose some weight. Then I'll-"

"Mr. Puffin, da-ze." Korea called. "If you go, all the girls will kiss you and praise you for your bravery, da-ze!"

Mr. Puffin shot through the bars in an instant. Iceland was alarmed when he crashed into the wall opposite of them. "Mr. Puffin, are you okay?"

Mr. Puffin got up and flapped his wings a little. "I'm fine."

"Did it shock you, ana?" Thailand asked.

"Barely. Now what, a key?"

"Go find the key or an off switch to turn the electricity off." Iceland said.

Mr. Puffin flapped his wings in response. "Got it. A key or an off switch. I'll be back; don't go anywhere."

"As if we can, aru." China sighed. "Be careful, aru."


	36. Casual Chats and Gathering Intel

England scowled at America as France tended to America's wounded hand. "How can you accidentally shoot your own hand?" England scoffed.

America flinched as France fastened the cloth from America's shirt together to act as a bandage. "Dude, if a lot of yous were shooting lights at me, I wouldn't be able to see."

"They aren't lights." England retorted. "They are very powerful bolts of magic."

"Yeah. That." America picked at the makeshift bandage and France slapped his hand away, chiding him to not mess with it.

England sighed but didn't say anything. He wearily swept their surroundings, troubled. Very troubled. Thanks to America, they had hit every single Dark Englands (at last). When the last Dark England fell, they all disappeared and faded into the air. Not a single drop of their blood was left.

It aggravated England that the real Dark England wasn't there, and it even made him more aggravated when America and France said they had a feeling he wasn't.

"Then tell me sooner." England sighed. "I wasted so much of my energy." He sat down on the ground, panting slowly.

"We weren't sure." France said, holding America's unwounded hand up high and away from the wounded one. "I told you, stop touching it!"

"Ve...now what do we do?" Italy asked worriedly. "Dark England is going to be very mad when he hears about this."

"That's when we run away." France said.

"Advance in the opposite direction." America corrected.

England sighed and glanced to the side. "We need to get going then. There are a lot of places to search for and then we need to destroy these weapons before the invasion."

America perked. "Oh! Before we go, can I say something?"

"You already did." France said pointedly. "Now-_I said stop trying to mess with it!_"

"Sorry dude." America laughed nervously. "But uh..well..." He frowned and glanced at France and then England. He was going to suggest that they join the Best Buds Group but he wondered if he could really forgive them and actually make amends. It was one thing to say it, but it was another to actually feel it.

It was worth a try, right?

"I'm..." America stopped and thought back in his memories. He remembered the anger and frustration he held for the two countries and even now they'd get on each other's nerves every once in a while. He sighed and muttered, "Never mind."

He'd have to let time go by and try again later.

England gave America a weird look. "Er, alright then? Well, we should probably go ea-"

"England! Big Brother France!" Italy exclaimed all of a sudden. "I forgot but now I remembered! America, Japan, Russia, and I are in the Best Buds Group, ve! Do you two want to join?"

France stared at Italy. "Best...Buds...Group?"

"Ve, in order to defeat the doppelgangers, we need friendship." Italy said pointedly.

England and France exchanged looks. They both had an uneasy expression. "I'm not sure if you realize this Italy..." England said slowly. "But, well, do you know how hard it is to get along with everyone? Our history leads up to who we are today...who our people are."

"Oui," France agreed. "Even if things happened forever ago, everyone holds a grudge."

"But dudes!" America interrupted. "If we all become best buds, then the doppelgangers will be weaker and after we totally defeat them we'll all get along!"

"World peace!" Italy added enthusiastically.

France stared at Italy and he glanced at America. America had his gaze fixed with determination on him, as if anticipating for France to join in.

There were a lot of things that happened in his history, that France. It was exhausting to fight all the time and things were always so tense at times. Maybe joining would relieve tension with the other countries.

Why not?

"I'll join." France said as Italy and America whooped with laughter.

"What about you England?" asked Italy.

"Er..." England thought back in his history as well, and his stomach dropped after remembering everything he had done. He also remembered the British Empire he had and then he lost it all. He regretted being so furious and angry after losing so much land to other countries.

England wondered if he could get over that.

"I'll...wait for another day." he muttered.

America nodded, understanding. "Okay bro, but if you wanna join, just ask any of us, got it?"

England, surprised that America wasn't going to pester him about joining, nodded. "Alright..."

* * *

><p>Mr. Puffin had to admit he was alarmed at the number of doppelgangers present in Chicago. He saw Dark Italy talking to Dark Canada, he spotted Dark Japan and Dark South Korea walking along the hall, and he caught a glimpse of Dark Belarus, Dark Vietnam, and Dark China talking with each other.<p>

It was a wonder how he wasn't caught yet. But maybe it was because the ceiling was very high up in the hall and he was flying a good seven feet above their heads. He always stuck to the shadows; maybe that helped contribute to his sneakiness.

After he watched Dark France and Dark Denmark enter a room where Dark Iceland, Dark Turkey, and Dark Austria were already in for what seems to be a meeting, Mr. Puffin flew off, still trying to find a key.

"How can I find a key in a place like this?" he muttered to himself, flying up a flight of stairs. He hoped he wouldn't get lost though; he already had that nervous feeling of getting lost. Did he remember which corridor he took to get there?

Oh well; what was done was done. There was no turning back now. Mr. Puffin flew on, resting only when he felt tired. "I should have followed the diet plan." he murmured to himself. "Phew..."

Somehow, when he was flying into another hall, the walls became an eerie blue with a gray tint. The colors danced along the walls in a watery effect. Why a wattery effect?

And then Mr. Puffin realized there were windows in the hall and he rested on the ground, glancing up at the windows. He nearly let a stray squawk out when he realized that they were indeed underwater.

"How are we going to escape now?" Mr. Puffin hissed. "Okay, okay, it's okay. We can still do this." He continued to stare at the windows, somewhat mesmerized. _Calming..._Mr. Puffin thought. _Very calming. I can probably stay here for a while. It doens't matter, right?_

Then he shook his head. "No, gotta keep going." And with one final puff of his chest, he flew on as quickly as he could.

* * *

><p>Iceland leaned against the wall, sighing. The other countries had bombarded him with questions, wondering if Mr. Puffin was able to complate the task. There was a lot of pressure on the bird's shoulders and part of the fate of the world rested on him.<p>

Iceland did his best to reassure the others but he too had some doubt. For all he knew, they'd be there for a while.

"Um, so, do we, like, get to totally eat sometime?" Poland asked three cells to the left of Iceland.

"When I was in Guangzhou, they fed the prisoners, da-ze." Korea piped up. "It was good food; Dark Aniki cooked it, da-ze."

"Was my doppelganger a good cook, aru?" asked China.

"I don't know, I didn't eat, da-ze." Korea admitted. "But it smelled good, da-ze."

"Better than mine, aru?"

"Uhhh...no comment da-ze."

"Even countries have to eat." Seychelles said, glancing at Poland who shared her cell. Along with Greenland, the three were sitting against the back of the cell. "And they'd have to keep us alive, right? If we're gone then our counterparts are too."

"When's lunch time then?" Mexico asked. "Or dinner, or breakfast. Whatever time it is..."

"I think it's close to lunch, ana." Thailand said.

"Doesn't anyone have a watch?" Ukraine asked, glancing to the neighboring cells. Belgium in the cell to her right shook her head and Greenland to the left shook his head too.

"I do." Finland said. "But it's not adjusted to this time zone."

"Doesn't matter." the Netherlands said, his arms crossed. "What time does your watch say?"

Finalnd rolled up his sleeve and adjusted his watch to see the time. "Oh...it's broken."

A couple of stomachs rumbled and a few laughs echoed in the hall. "Did anyone eat before they got captured?" Taiwan asked.

"Last time I ate was like, hours and hours ago, da-ze." Korea said in a whine. "Aniki, do you have food up your sleeve?"

"No, aru." China sighed wearily. "If only America was here, aru. He can make sweets come out of his sleeve, aru. It's crazy, aru."

Several more laughs erupted from the cells. The atmosphere suddenly became warmer. "You know, it's not like we all gather up and talk like this." Belgium smiled. "World meetings are always so serious. It's fun to get together with people you'd never really see outside of meetings and talk and joke."

"We're always so busy with our own things that we really don't, do we?" Romania chuckled.

Murmurs of agreement aroused and they settled down when Thailand said, "When we get of here, we should get to know everyone better, ana. Not only will it be fun, but our countries can get closer and we can get along, ana."

"That sounds great." Ukraine said, clapping her hands together.

"You know what would be totally awesome after this doppelganger business is over?" Poland asked.

"What?" several voices said simultaneously.

Poland stopped, stunned at the numerous responses he had gotten and he glanced at Seychelles and Greenland, lost for words. "Uhh...well, um..."

"Go on," Seychelles said kindly, crawling up to Poland. "What's on your mind?"

Poland looked away from her, avoiding he eyes. He glanced up at Greenland who was giving him an encouraging smile. Poland adverted his eyes to the wall and glued them there. "Well, a...party after this will be totally cool."

"A party!" Seychelles grinned. "That sounds amazing!"

Poland reluctantly took his eyes off of the wall. "Really?"

"That's a great idea, aru!" China exclaimed. "Ah, and everyone can bring their own food, aru! So many cultures put into one big party, aru...Aiya, I'm excited already!"

"Yes, da-ze!" Korea said, grinning. "It'll be at my house, da-ze! But wait...then I'll be stuck with the cleaning after it's over, da-ze...Let's have America host it, da-ze!"

More laughs. Even Sweden and the Netherlands cracked a small smile.

"How about this." Lithuania said, smiling. "We have it at America's house and we all stick around to help clean. Is that okay?"

"Liet, I didn't know you were here!" Poland exclaimed.

"Shhh, we're making a lot of noise." Ukraine said quickly. "Someone is coming." She shushed everyone as they listened. Footsteps were rushing towards them and within seconds, Dark Japan and Dark South Korea were walking by their cells, giving all of them a cool, indifferent look with a small hint of hostility.

"What is this?" Dark Japan asked quietly. "Why do you look like you're smiling?"

"Because we are, da-ze." Korea said smugly. Then he reached out towards Thailand and the Netherlands and pulled them into a group hug, despite the Netherlands' half hearted resistance. "We're having a blast, da-ze!"

Dark South Korea contorted his face. "I get why you're huggin Thailand but why the Netherlands? You two don't have any close ties."

Korea pointed at his doppelganger and laughed. "Silly, we do, da-ze! Right Netherlands, da-ze? We're good friends now, right, da-ze?"

The Netherlands gave Korea a small look before he scoffed, "Fine."

"Ha! In your faces, da-ze!" Korea grinned.

Dark Japan and Dark South Korea exchanged looks. "Should we...you know, da-ze?" Dark South Korea asked.

"Give it a little while." Dark Japan murmured. Dark Japan glared at Korea, Thailand, and the Netherlands. "Come. Forget about them now." Then Dark Japan gave them a small, sly, smile. "Right now, we need to... _pick our targets_."

* * *

><p>Mr. Puffin didn't find a key or an off switch but he did fly into a room where a whole bunch of doppelgangers were in accidentally. He didn't think that he'd fly into a room; the room was at the end of the hallway and he didn't realize that there were doors (the doors were propped open to the side and he missed to see it).<p>

And so he flew into a wide open room with a dome like ceiling that was made of glass. Surrounding the bottom of the dome structure were decorative balconies that were far too small for an actual human being to stand, or even sit, in. It was perfect for perching and so Mr. Puffin perched up there, looking down on the scene below them.

All the doppelgangers he saw earlier were there and a handful more he hadn't were present. Dark Germany was in the front, standing stiffly like a military general. Many of the doppelgangers were sitting down at the rows and rows of tables facing Dark Germany.

Mr. Puffin never went to school, but he knew how to count. If his face could pale, it would after he counted _forty-three_ doppelgangers.

He'd fly out of there immediately but the doors slammed closed and there was no other exit available to him. He couldn't do anything but sit there, watching and listening.

"This begins the meeting." Dark Germany said loudly, his voice echoing in the large room. "Objectives: pick targets to attack. We-yes?" he growled as a hand raised.

Dark Italy stood up and asked, "Sorry, but I wasn't here for the last meeting. What's going on?"

"Remember the change of plans?" Dark Germany asked Dark Italy.

Dark Italy shook his head.

"At first we wanted war, correct?" Dark Germany asked, raising his voice so that he was sure that everyone in the room could hear. Mr. Puffin nearly fell from his perching spot because Dark Germany's booming voice shocked him. "We wanted to bring out our original's hatred out so that they'd fight each other and eliminate each other."

"But if they're gone, then we are too." Dark America said, standing up. "Sorry dude, but I got this, 'kay?" Dark America got a curt nod from Dark Germany and he turned to Dark Italy. "Okay, so technically, if we have our originals kill each other, we'd die too. That's a big no-no. Soo..." Dark America gave a long, dramatic pause. "We'll capture all the countries, all of their politicians and government people, and a few hundred of each country's citizens."

"Why?" Dark Italy asked.

"So when we keep them safe, our original and ourselves will still be alive after." Dark America smirked.

"And that's why we're here." Dark Germany cut in, motioning for Dark America to sit down. As Dark America sat down shrugging, Dark Germany added, "We'll wipe the rest of the world out and start over. The way our originals are running the world, they're doing a poor job. We can do much better."

Dark Italy allowed a smirk to take over his face. "I couldn't agree more then, ve." He finally sat down and Dark Germany continued.

"We'll be using our weapons to wipe out the majority of the humans on earth, keeping only a few safe so that the country itself won't die. When that happens, we'll start anew but this time, we'll be taking over and we'll rule from then on." Dark Germany said. "We can do a much more better job. Can't we?" he added darkly.

Mr. Puffin suppressed a few shudders as the doppelgangers grinned a malevolent grin.


	37. Revealed and Flooded

Mr. Puffin couldn't help but think how well he was gathering Intelligence. In fact, when he was able to get out of the room, he'd probably fly all the way back to Iceland and the others and tell him. Of course, there was the 'escape' part that they need to get done, and they coudln't go anywhere unless he, the great Mr. Puffin, found their way out.

But there was still no exit and the doppelgangers were still talking so he stayed put and listened in.

"We'll start with the superpowers." Dark Germany said. "Then we attack on from there. Each superpower's hatred will attack their own. Others will accompany and guard. No matter how much of an advantage we have, we can never underestimate them. Ever."

Dark Germany then spun on his heels and walked to the board that stood behind him. Pulling down a map that had been rolled up at the top of the board, Dark Germany pointed out the locations that they could target. Mr. Puffin made sure to try to remember them all but it was hard work.

Dark Germany kept on pointing to one place, stop and answer a question from the others or to take suggestions, then change his mind and go along with the suggestion (if one was made) and pick another target. Mr. Puffin wanted to shout out that Dark Germany was making things unecessarily complicated but he kept his beak shut.

"Alright, we have our targets then. Got them written down, everyone?" Dark Germany asked.

"We got them already." Dark America said in a drawling tone. "Now what's the next topic?"

Dark Germany pulled at the map and released it as it rolled back up. He made his way towards an empty seat near the front while saying, "I believe China's hatred has something to say."

Dark China stood up from his chair and took Dark Germany's place in front. "There are still a lot of countries we still need to capture. We only have a handful now, aru. And some of the hatreds are on their way with other countries. And from what I know, Germany is holding several countries at his house as 'headquarters', aru."

"I heard that too." Dark France said as the doppelgangers turned their heads to look at him. "A good number of them are there. Shall we take them?"

"Soft." Dark England interrupted Dark France. Dark France shot a cold look to Dark England but said nothing. "If it pleases you, there are four orginals at a fray above. My copies born of my magic that hath breathed life into are to entertain our guests."

"Dude, what the hell are you talking about?" Dark America asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know you like old English and crap but make it easier for us to understand."

Dark England gave Dark America a cold look similar to the one Dark France gave Dark England. "With airy breaths, I repeat that my copies animated by my magic are above on land. And, if thou wilt, continue to tame thine ignorant ear which fails to listen to my words, thou would have known my copies are addressing the situation as gentlemen."

Dark America shook his head. "Simplify it more dude."

"That was supposed to be simplified?" Dark Romano scowled. "He made it more complicated, the jerk..."

Dark England stood up abruptly and hissed, "Peace, I pray! If not for our cooperation, I warrant that thou wilt be burned and crippled by my curses."

"Forget about curses." Dark France scolded. "Repeat what you said about the four originals up on land. What are they doing with your copies? Surely you can answer that without using excessive sentences."

Dark England looked like a tomato; his face was red with anger and Mr. Puffin thought that he'd explode with rage but he didn't. Dark England snapped, "You idiots! I'm saying that America, France, Italy, and my own bloody original is on land right now fighting with my bloody copies of myself that I made with my own magic, damnit! Is it that hard to understand?"

"You can speak modern English?" Dark Denmark asked. "Why didn't you in the first place? That would make things easier, you know?"

Dark England sat back down and cleared his throat impatiently. "My good sir, 'easier' hath not my affection."

Dark America smirked and elbowed Dark South Korea, who was next to him, and said, "Am I right or what? I told you England's hatred makes thing needlessly complicated."

Before Dark England could retort back, Dark China scowled, "Aiya, can't I say anything without everyone fighting? I thought we had an agreement that there will be no silly things like this, aru." Then Dark China took a breath. "Can we settle things down and be serious? We have to consider everything in order to be successful and fighting among ourselves is one of the most stupidest reasons to be defeated."

"I second that, da-ze." Dark South Korea said.

"Of course you do." Dark North Korea muttered under his breath beside Dark South Korea but he didn't say anything else.

"Continue." Dark Germany said to Dark China.

"So England's hatred, you said that you can take care of your original, America, France, and Italy?" Dark China asked.

Dark England turned his head to glance at the doors of the room and said calmly, "If I say 'Ay', I lie. Assuming to have control o'er those four is a costly mistake. Methinks I should go and haul them in...what say you?"

Dark China nodded. "I say you will. Take someone with you."

Dark England took his gaze from the door and glanced around the room. "Anyone? If thou hast the will, come forth to me and we shall make haste to land."

"Ve...may I, England's hatred?" Dark Italy raised his hand.

Dark England looked skeptical. "Have you the will? Tell me, what motivates thee? Is it thine original?"

Dark Italy took a second to comprehend Dark England's words before he nodded. "I have been wanting to meet him face to face."

A knowing smile tugged at Dark England's lips. "T'is so? Come. Shall we make our departure?"

Mr. Puffin considered leaving with them when the door was open but he would be seen and he decided not to. Besides, he'd be missing out on a lot of information.

Dark England and Dark Italy left the room and Dark China continued. "While they're taking care of that, we'll make plans on how to find the others. The power is back on, right, aru?"

Dark Japan nodded at Dark China. "We turned it on just for this once. We can safely assume that Germany and the others back at his house will be using it to their advantage but their advantage will only last so long as we keep the power on."

"Which is only for temporarily." Dark China finished. "There is a high possibility that they're trying to locate the missing nations, aru. That will stall their attempts of capturing us. I don't believe we're in any danger, but we could never know."

Mr. Puffin felt a little nervous after that. He finally knew how careful the doppelgangers were and he wondered if they had noticed him. If they did, wouldn't they do something? Or were they waiting for him to break? Goodness, it was so confusing and he wasn't sure if they knew and were pretending not to know.

Or maybe he was getting paranoid.

"So does anyone know who is at Germany's?" asked Dark Denmark.

"Germany." the majority of the doppelgangers said at once.

Dark Canada raised his hand. "Italy's hatred and I ran into Cameroon, Sweden, and Switzerland the last time we were at Germany's place. Perhaps they're still there."

"We have Sweden here." Dark America said. "Although Cameroon and Switzerland...no one has reported back that they have those two so they might be at Germany's."

Dark China watched as the doppelgangers added in bits of information they had heard. After they had came up with an agreement, Dark China rushed to the board and began to write down the names of the countries.

"That's a handful, aru." Dark China murmured. "And there are some superpowers there too. Germany's hatred, who do you think should go?"

Dark Germany folded his arms, deep in thought. His dark red eyes flickered towards the Asian doppelgangers and said, "Is it true that all of you are very quiet and light on your toes?"

"You mean stealthy?" Dark South Korea asked. "Ha, you bet on it, da-ze."

Dark Germany glanced at Dark China. "Send them. Have them use stealth instead of attacking full on. Take one country at a time, when they're all alone."

Dark China nodded and sent a commanding look towards the other dark Asian countries present in the room. "Aiya, don't just sit there." he snapped. "Get going, aru."

"What about you?" Dark Japan asked.

"I'm staying here to help out, aru." Dark China said. "We'll be relying on you guys, alright?"

Mr. Puffin watched as Dark Japan, Dark South and North Korea, and Dark Vietnam leave the room. As they left, Dark America asked where the other Asian doppelgangers were.

"There's a whole bunch of you guys, so why only four?" he inquired.

"They're busy collecting other countries and their government and their people and stuff." Dark China said. "Apparently our originals evacuated their people to less populated areas and kept people in confinement for the time being, aru. We're having some difficulty going in and out without attracting attention but it's getting there."

Dark China went to sit down, ending his time up in front. Dark Germany rose out of his seat and asked if there was anything else they had to discuss. When no one spoke up, he said, "Dismissal."

* * *

><p>"Mr. Puffin!" Taiwan cried when she saw the bird fly back to them.<p>

Her cry made everyone else look up and rush to the bars without touching them. "Have you found the key?" Finland asked, seeing that the bars were still humming dangerously.

Mr. Puffin landed and panted. "Phew, that was a long flight back. I kinda forgot which hall took me where so it took me ten minutes to find you guys."

"Did you find the key?" Iceland asked his bird hastily.

Mr. Puffin shook his head. While everyone groaned, he said, "But I gathered Intelligence!"

"Well, we have no contact to headquarters, ana." Thailand said. "But it's better than nothing, ana."

Five minutes later, the countries were starting to panic. "They're going to get jumped, da-ze!" Korea whined. "And without warning, da-ze! If only I can tell Vietnam, da-ze. And is Japan there too, da-ze? If so I'd tell them, da-ze!"

"Only your siblings?" Ukraine asked.

"Well, that would make me sound like a bad person, da-ze. I'd tell all of them, da-ze."

"Say. Mr. Puffin?" Taiwan asked the bird. "You don't think you can fly all the way to Germany's and-"

"_Hell no_." Mr. Puffin exclaimed. "I know I need to exercise but come on, I don't want to kill myself!"

"Aiya...this is very bad." China groaned. "Okay, no more fooling around. We need to get out of here, key or no key, aru." He stood up and told Finland and Greece to move aside.

"What are you doing?" Greece asked.

China rolled his shoulders and said, "Escaping, aru." And with that, he kicked the wall of the cell. He heard a satisfying rumble of the rocks shifting a little under the force of his attack. Three or four more kicks should be able to loosen the bricks so that he could wiggle the bricks away from the wall.

Mr. Puffin frowned. He felt like he should tell China something but he couldn't remember what. "Oh well, it can't be too important." he said to himself.

China kicked the wall a few more times. As the wall started to break, China grinned and said excitedly, "Yes! We can get out in no time, aru!" And then he stopped. "What's that sound, aru?"

Silence. The countries and Mr. Puffin held their breath as they heard water. Mr. Puffin squawked. "Holy herrings, I forgot to tell you! We're underwater!"

"So _now_ you remember?" Iceland asked irritably as water started to leak in.

"It would be sad if I heard water and still didn't." Mr. Puffin retorted, flapping his wings just to stretch them. "But it's not a big deal, right? Free water."

"If the water reaches the bars, then China, Greece, and Finland will be electrocuted by the water." Seychelles said anxiously.

"And water is a strong conductor." the Netherlands said, standing up at once.

Sweden stood up immediately and said, "Finland..."

"Aha, I'll be fine Sweden." Finland said nervously. "Um...the water isn't coming that quickly, is it?"

"Maybe I can block it." Greece suggested. China stepped to the side as the Greek took over, pressing his back against the wall, covering up the hole. The water ceased to fall but after a few moments, water ran down Greece's body and onto the floor.

"Aiya!" China cried, gripping his head with both hands. "I don't want to be electrocuted, aru!"

"Aniki, da-ze!" Korea yelled. "Don't die, da-ze!"

"I'm not trying to, aru!"

Mr. Puffin cocked his head thoughtfully. "This isn't the time to be daydreaming." Iceland scolded him harshly.

"I'm not." Mr. Puffin scoffed. He fluttered his wings and hopped down the hall. "I'm getting help. _They_ don't want you dead anyway." And with that he took off again while Greece, China, and Finland tried to block the hole that was somehow getting bigger and bigger.


	38. Dark Italy and Italy

Italy had a bad feeling again. He didn't know why because everything looked pretty peaceful in Chicago so far but that little nagging feeling inside of him was warning him of something, and he wasn't sure what.

He tried to ignore it and focused on England and France bicker yet again. They were now bickering over what they were going to eat for lunch, because America said he was getting hungry.

"French food." France declared. "America, do you have any French restaurants around here?"

"Oh nonsense." England scowled. "America, remember the food I made you when you were little? Didn't you love them? Right?"

America laughed nervously, not knowing what to do. Italy reckoned that America didn't want to pick sides because it might come back to haunt him (and even Italy knew that America wasn't a fan of hauntings).

"Ve...how about Italian?" Italy asked.

France considered the idea. "Hmmm, well, Italy is a pretty good chef, after all."

"Oh, so you're saying that I'm not?" England asked.

Normally, France would say yes but he stopped himself and reconsidered. From what he was told from America, America wanted every single country in the world to join the Best Buds Group and that alone was a feat that wasn't even considered possible by today's standards. But then again, France had reasoned that he would indeed like to see a time, even if it was just a day, where everyone trusted everyone.

Even at the Olympics or some World Cups the countries seemed a little wary.

"I think we should have Italian for a change." France said, giving England a small smile.

"Italian it is!" America said enthusiastically, glad that the argument was finally over. "Let's go!"

They never quite made it to the closest Olive Garden, where America said he wanted to go to. Fate is a funny thing; anything is a possible factor and how htings play out depends on everything; time, position, location, who was there, how many were there, if a certain someone was there who could change things for the better or the worse...there is an infinitive number of possibilities the future could play out.

Italy wasn't sure if fate had done this, and he wasn't sure what would happen if it wasn't there, but all he did know was that it had happened, and maybe, just maybe, it would help decide the victor in the entire doppelganger ordeal.

Dark England and Dark Italy had found them before they could get to eat. They came in a pretty bad time; England was worn out from slightly overusing his magic, America was still trying to mess with his wounded hand (the bandage itched him like mad), France had his hands full with America because of that and he was trying to look after Italy, and Italy was...well, Italy.

"Please don't hurt us!" Italy pleaded at once, suddenly realizing why he had that horrible bad feeling. "We just want to eat some pasta! I'm begging you, I'll tell you everything I know, even though I don't know a lot! Where's my white flag when I need it? I wish I didn't leave it at home; I knew it would be useful but I didn't bring it! Don't hurt us!"

"Italy, calm yourself." England said harshly, clapping his hand over Italy's mouth. Then, after Italy submitted himself into whimpering, England regarded his doppelganger coldly. "So you're the real one, aren't you?"

Dark England mirrored England's glare. "Thou hast slain my copies. Wherefore they have fell?"

"They may be copies of yourself," England said calmly. "but they aren't you. They can be wounded but their wounds won't close up. Yes, they faded away."

Dark England stared at England for a while, and the two refused to let up their piercing gaze. "Thou fell them, a feat I never warrant. I do myself wrong; I refuse to assume such foolish thoughts. Ere today I thought myself cunning and careful; thoughts assured me soundly, mayhaps excessively? Assurance overflowed my cup to result in me drowning by my own thoughtlessness. What relief that doth shine upon me-warmth returned and breath breathed regularly-that I have finally sought thee out. Many thanks to the divine magic-the mystical power that heeds my commands to do me right- that doth right my wrongs. Alas, thou art hunted by the huntsman." Then he paused. "Nay, _huntsmen_. Come anon, Italy's hatred."

Italy stared at his own doppelganger. Dark Italy, who came from behind Dark England. Dark Italy mirrored Italy's stance; they both stood with their hands to the side, their feet together, and their head slightly cocked. The difference was that while Italy had an apprehensive expression, Dark Italy had the exact opposite.

"So now we meet face to face." Dark Italy said slowly.

England, France, and America glanced between the two Italys. Dark England didn't look at his partner, but rather he studied their expressions and their wounds, if they had any. "Wrapped with soiled cloth, stained by dirtied crimson blood...Who hurt you?"

America frowned and gave England a sideways glance. "Is he talking to me?"

"Yes."

"It's about my hand, isn't it?" America groaned.

England raised an eyebrow. "Yes."

"Well, you see, your copies blinded me with the lights-"

"_Magic_." England and Dark England corrected.

"Yeah, that." America coudln't help but roll his eyes a little. "Anyway, I couldn't see and I accidentally shot my hand."

"What odds you have." Dark England muttered.

"What odds indeed." England murmured. Then England raised his voice. "Are you here to finish us off?"

Dark England smiled.

"Figures." England grumbled. But he shot a nervous look towards the others. America was most likely out of ammo, France- England dind't even know if France came prepared with any weapons; this was his first time out on a mission type of task in the whole ordeal, and Italy was still rambling on about surrendering and to not hurt them.

England himself wasn't in good shape either, not anymore. He still felt somewhat fatigued. If only they had encountered them after they ate. Food restored energy, and it seemed too cruel for them to fight before lunch.

"Why are you so concerned about the others?" Dark Italy asked England. "I thought you hated France, and I thought that America and Italy didn't matter to you."

England took that offensive. "Do you honestly think that I care for only myself?" he demanded hotly. "On my word, I swear that I'll protect them all. Even the frog."

"Why how generous of you." France said sarcastically. "_Merci beacoup_."

"Don't make me take back my word." England scowled.

As France harrumphed, Dark England murmured, "Why waste thine energy for them? Hath you forgotten wars with them? Hath the memory of thy hatred left you already?"

England said nothing.

Dark England looked sullen for a moment. "I see. My humor, vanished. If thou vows to protect, then I beseech thee otherwise."

"I didn't think that you'd be one to plead." England said in a low voice.

Dark England let out a sharp laugh. "My good man, never once didst I mention I was done. Hasty thou art."

"Like a hare?" America asked as England elbowed him.

England's crimson eyes danced in amusement. "A hare? What, thou art not a man, but a hare? More like a bawd, if not a hare."

"Hey, that's what the others said!" America said, laughing. "What does that mean anyway?"

"Oh quiet, you." England snapped at America.

Dark England took a few steps forward but the four backed up a little. Dark England stopped and smirked. "How now? Thou act like young uns when thou art hundred year old nations."

"We're cautious. We don't trust the likes of you." England replied.

"Fool, we _are_ you." Dark England said haughtily. "If it offends thee to have me in thy presence, I'm terribly sorry. My work is to strike thee down, take thee in, and lock thee up. I-"

Dark England was silence by a blast of ice blue. He was forced several feet back, his heels digging into the ground and kicking up dirt. "Thou art moved when I have yet to move?" Dark England demanded angrily when he crouched down to keep his balance.

"I'm terribly sorry." England said with a small smirk. "But I never thought that a fragment of myself would be so boring."

"Take thy word back!"

England put on a face like he was considering it. Then he shook it and said, "No, I would rather not." And shot another bolt of magic towards Dark England.

Dark England deflected the bolt and sent a massive ball of fire their way. The fire was quenched by a jet of water colliding into the ball and the ball hissed as steam enveloped it.

The steam blocked their eyesight but England knew better and yelled, "France, keep everyone here, especially America!" England ran forward as America complained to France ("How come it's his turn to be the hero?" America asked. "I didn't get a big chance last time.)

The humidity created by the collision of the water and fire prompted England to sweat immediately after he left the other three. The steam was thick and breathing was difficult but England moved on. Using his magic to guide him through the steam, he located the silhouette of Dark England and balled up his fist tightly.

Dark England suddenly turned on the spot and blocked England's punch, holding on tightly to his fist until England cringed at the sheer strength. "Count thy lucky stars, boy." Dark England sneered. "If thou hath no importance to me, I count it not a sin to kill thee."

England gritted his teeth. "Watch your tongue. Do you realize who you're talking to?"

Dark England spat, "All talk and no bite. Come on, sir."

"How can I if you're holding me here?" England demanded, but he inhaled deeply in order to get air; the steam was still rather heavy despite it starting to settle down around them.

"Come, sir." Dark England yelled. "Have at thee!"

"Stop being so _bloody noisy_!" England used his free hand to shoot a small streak of red to his doppelganger. Dark England grimaced but he didn't release England. Instead, he created a ball of black-red energy and shoved the dangerous magic in England's stomach.

England coughed up blood once the magic touched him. He didn't know this curse, and he wasn't sure what it would do. Dark England gave England a small cocky smile. "Lo, thou art felled by my hand."

England was thrown backwards with such force that he hit the ground hard. He felt his shoulders tear open, blood flying into the misty air. He uttered a cry of pain, gasping for air, clutching his shoulders where he had met the ground first. Squinting his eyes, he saw that Dark England stood where he was, unaffected, ninety feet away.

France, America, and Italy had seen a blast of dark red light in the settling steam and they watched as England's body flew past them. Italy cried out in horror after England lifted his head from the ground weakly and collapsed, unmoving.

Dark England was still there, so England wasn't dead. "Of course not." France said to Italy hastily. "You need to get rid of their people and their government before you can kill a country."

When Dark England approached them, America stepped out in front of France and Italy and said harshly, "Don't you dare take another step forward."

Dark England's eyes scanned America for a while, and after he seemed to deem America weakened by his wounds from earlier, he said, "Draw if you art willing."

Italy whimpered in fright when Dark England beat America and tossed America aside. America landed a few feet away from England, sprawled and unconscious.

"Italy, flee." France ordered to Italy as Dark England turned to look at France directly in the eye.

"N-no."

"Italy!" France turned his head to give Italy a cold glare. "Désolé, but you have to go."

"I can't leave you." Italy cried, hanging onto France's arm. "I-I...I don't want to be alone."

Before France could say anything, Dark England shot another bolt of magic to France, and France pulled him and Italy out of the way. France pushed Italy away from Dark England and yelled at him to go, but Italy refused to leave them.

France knew that Italy wouldn't and his sadness reflected in his light blue eyes. "Je suis désolé...Je suis très désolé...I'm sorry...Italy."

Italy yelled as France turned around and charge into the mist at Dark England. A few minutes later, France too was thrown aside and Italy was the only one left.

"Excuse me, England's hatred."

Dark England turned his head to look at Dark Italy, who was watching at the sidelines. Dark Italy walked up to Dark England's side, watching Italy shake in terror. "May I?"

Dark England glanced at Italy and then at Dark Italy. Seeing no harm, he said, "Ay. Thou hast my honor."

Dark Italy stepped forward as Dark England stepped back. Italy had never been in such a horrifying situation as this before. There were too many things that seemed unreal, like England's magic for example. Since when did he use magic? Italy didn't know; maybe it was a secret talent England was trying to keep hidden.

And then the fact that an actual physical form of hatred was right in front of him, and it was his own, made it seem too surreal, too much like a nightmare.

Italy tried to think of good things like pasta and sharing a warm (and not cold) bed with Romano and he thought of Germany and Japan, and he also thought of all of the fun times they all had together.

He didn't want to fight.

"Why do we have to fight?" Italy asked quietly. "Why do you want to fight? Is fighting so much fun? Is it worth to see the pain, feel the pain, and see what happens because of it?"

"It's futile to ask a question like that to someone like me." Dark Italy said.

"Someone...like you?" Italy repeated. "You are me, and I am you, right? It's like me answering that question, and I don't think fighting is a good way to solve problems. Germany says that you have to accept who you are, and what you have done. I know there were a lot of wars that I didn't like, but I like to look at the bright side-"

"There is no bright side of war." Dark Italy snapped. "War is dark. War is blood. War is not glorious like people make it out to be. War is madness, war is bloodshed, war is hell."

"War is very bad." Italy agreed. "But it brings everyone together as family-"

"It kills people."

Italy faltered and Dark Italy said under his breath, "War isn't necessary, but war happens. We came to accept that long ago because, well..." Dark Italy smiled a small smile. "We begin wars."

And then Dark Italy reached into his jacket, pulling out a gun. He raised his arm, pointing the weapon at Italy. The hammer clicked back and Dark Italy rested his finger on the trigger. "And we'll begin this one."

But before Dark Italy could pull the trigger, Italy leapt forward and embraced his doppelganger. Dark Italy's eyes widened with surprise as he was knocked off his feet at the sudden hug. Italy tightened his embrace and cried into his shoulder.

"Why do you want to begin wars? Can humans really be this hateful to other humans? Why can't we just forgive? America tells me he wants happiness but wars happen to help achieve it but what good do wars do if it only causes more suffering?" Italy sobbed.

"Do you really enjoy pain? Do you really like to see people cry and hurt and torn? Hatred does this to people and how can we achieve happiness if we let hatred control ourselves? We have to calm down and trust one another and we can all be friends! No more grudges! No more pain! No more tears..." Italy's lower lip quivered for a while, and then his shoulders shook as he weeped into his hatred's shoulder.

"I don't want to hate anymore." Italy whispered.

Silence. Italy heard himself breathe heavily, weary of crying. He felt helpless, but the only thing he could hang onto was himself, or rather, a fragment of himself. It was all he had left.

"Italy..."

Italy slowly lifted his head off of his doppelganger's shoulder and looked at him, his face tear stained.

Dark Italy looked down at Italy and to Italy's shock, Dark Italy had tears running down his cheek. "Are you able to stand up for yourself?" Dark Italy asked quietly.

As Italy stared in surprise, Dark England barked, "What is this? Art thou decieved? Regain hated control, man!"

Dark Italy ignored Dark England and waited for Italy to respond. "I'll do my best..." Italy said quietly.

Dark Italy's grip weakened and a small, quivering smile took its place instead of the scowl he had. As Dark Italy's tears dripped down his chin, his red eyes faded and they took on the normal warm brown eyes Italy had. He looked just like Italy now; there were no signs of the sinister redness in his eyes.

"I see..." Dark Italy murmured. "You really do want everyone to be happy, don't you? I...I can't feel any of the hatred in your heart anymore. Even your dislikes aren't as strong right now..." Dark Italy glanced up at the real Italy and gave him a small laugh. "Ve...I'm happy. I'm happy that you want peace and happiness. I think...I think you deserve it. Take care...and don't get caught up in anymore wars, okay?"

Italy's eyes brimmed with more tears. "Okay."

Dark Italy nodded and said softly, "Good luck...Italy."

And then Dark Italy faded with the wind that blew over them; his image disappeared into the air and left no trace behind. Italy felt whole again; he didn't know he had felt like he was missing something before, but for some odd reason, he felt oddly at peace.

Italy looked up at the sky and smiled, no longer crying. Maybe, just maybe, world peace was attainable.


	39. The Doppelgangers Strike

Although Dark Italy was gone, Italy had a feeling that his hatred never really left. It only lost its will to maintain its physical form and whatever hatred he might have left in his heart, it was weak because he was filled with happiness.

Until Dark England surprised him by grabbing his collar from behind, lifting him up into the air. "I do me wrong once more." he snarled. "What shame, what idiocy, ho! If I were to keep thy hatred back, he'd still be here."

Italy tugged at Dark England's hands, trying to breathe. He had no breath left to cry out; he barely had the energy to move.

"Dost thou surrender? Promise made if thou promise to give in, and I will not harm thee."

Italy gasped, "Okay, okay, I'll give in!"

Dark England dropped him to the ground and Italy massaged his throat, breathing in deeply. "Right glad I am thou art cooperating." Dark England said darkly as copies of himself stepped out from behind him, making their way to England, America, and France so that they could bring them to the Chicago hideout.

* * *

><p>Dark Japan, Dark North and South Korea, and Dark Vietnam arrived in Germany several hours later. It was in the middle of the night in Germany, roughly three in the morning. The time played to their favor; the night was the best to strike when the darkness agreed to hide them and the grogginess of the nations sleeping slowed their thought process. If done correctly, they'd be able to capture the nations at Germany's without waking anyone up.<p>

Of course, the doppelgangers took the most utmost care when it came to risky tasks. One thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong.

Dark North Korea confirmed that the real Japan and Vietnam were there, and that Dark Japan and Dark Vietnam could use the contacts Dark Estonia created in case if someone woke up.

"You two would have a better chance in there." Dark North Korea murmured.

"Isn't Estonia's hatred locked up here, da-ze?" Dark South Korea asked in a low voice. "We haven't heard from him ever since Guangzhou. Germany probably caught him."

"Is that so? I'll free him then." Dark North Korea muttered. Dark North Korea silently slipped into the covert of the night and left the group.

Dark South Korea went on ahead to scout the perimeters of Germany's house while Dark Japan and Dark Vietnam put on their contacts. Through the windows, Dark South Korea estimated that there were at least a good dozen or so nations resting in Germany's house. It was a good number.

"Have you found a way in?" Dark Vietnam asked as she and Dark Japan met up with Dark South Korea by the gates of the house.

"Open a window." Dark South Korea harrumphed.

"And if an alarm goes off?" Dark Japan asked.

Dark South Korea took a second to register the facts. "Ah, right. Germany's hatred turned the power back on, da-ze. The switch really controls all the electricity in the world?"

"Somehow, yes." Dark Vietnam murmured. She eyed the gates carefully and then the house looming over the threshold. She pointed to the top of the house and said, "The chimney."

"There shoudln't be a fire burning in there, correct?" Dark Japan asked.

"Not that I know of." Dark South Korea said.

Dark Japan nodded. "Let's go."

The three doppelgangers pushed at the gate gently to see if it was locked, which it was. It didn't stop them; they scaled the gates quietly and landed lightly on their feet. Getting to the roof of the house wasn't too hard for them; cllimbing things was simple.

Dark Japan peered into the windows every so often, mentally reminding himself who was on what floor and in which general direction. He was the first to get to the top and he scanned the roof as his other two comrades pulled themselves up.

"There." Dark Japan said, pointing to the silhouette of Germany's chimney. "Who will go first?"

"Allow me." Dark Vietnam said, and she made her way over to the entrance, the other two trailing after her.

The chimney was dark and somewhat narrow, but it was big enough for them to slip in. Dark Vietnam ran a finger inside the chimney and rubbed the loose soot with her thumb. There was a nice layer of soot and ash, which would make cleaning up their trace rather difficult.

"How about this? I'll go in and open up a door from inside. We won't make too much of a mess and North Korea's hatred will be able to come in easily when he returns." Dark Vietnam suggested.

Dark Japan nodded and beckoned for Dark South Korea to leave the rooftops.

As they scaled back down, Dark Vietnam pulled herself up onto the top of the chimney, swinging her legs around, and peered down the chute. "I have roughly three or four hours before anyone gets up." she reasoned to herself. "Some of them might be early birds, and some might be light sleepers." And with that she lowered herself into the chimney and allowed herself to shimmy down.

Dark Vietnam landed at the bottom softly, ducking underneath the mantlepiece from above the chimney and stepping down onto the floor. She was careful not to make a big mess, but preventing the soot from spilling onto the carpet was impossible. She'd have to clean it up later, after their mission. She carefully made her way aross the room, leaving a tiny, barely noticeable trail behind.

Dark Japan and Dark South Korea could see her move from outside the house by looking through the windows. They followed her from the outside and slipped in when she opened the kitchen door. Dark Vietnam slipped outside, excusing herself to brush off the rest of the soot.

While she did, Dark Japan muttered to Dark South Korea to start his hunt on the second floor while Dark Japan scoured the ground floor. Dark South Korea left Dark Japan in the kitchen and Dark Vietnam joined Dark Japan a few minutes later, asking where she should go.

"There's a more likely chance the second floor has the most bedrooms." Dark Japan murmured quietly. "South Korea's hatred won't be able to check all of them within three hours if he has to deal with the original countries there. It's a tedious task."

Dark Vietnam nodded, but then she froze and glanced around the kitchen. "Do you hear that?" she asked quietly.

Dark Japan frowned and nodded. Footsteps. "It can't be South Korea's hatred." he hissed. "Can it?"

It wasn't.

* * *

><p>Austria couldn't sleep for some odd reason. He had tried multiple times to fluff up his pillow and he tried sleeping in different positions. It didn't work. Frustrated, he reasoned that a late night snack or drink might help him, even though it was three in the morning and that he probably would only have a few more hours to sleep. He knew that Germany didn't like people oversleeping if they weren't sick or wounded.<p>

He heard low voices in the kitchen when he came out of his bedroom on the ground floor. The kitchen was a mere hallway away, so it didn't take him long to get there. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he opened the kitchen door and saw Japan and Vietnam sitting down at the table, glancing up at him.

"You two as well?" he asked them wearily.

"Couldn't sleep?" Japan asked him.

"Yes." Austria sighed. "I'm not sure why. Why are you up then?"

"We couldn't sleep either." Vietnam replied. "We were thinking of getting some tea but I'm not too sure where Germany keeps his tea."

Austria frowned. He remembered that Germany kept some tea in the cabinet above the stove when he had annexed him. Pointing that out, Japan went to go see if Austria was right, which he was.

"I'll make us some then." Japan said, giving Austria a grateful smile. "Please wait."

Austria took a seat at the table as Japan hurried to brew some tea. He glanced at Vietnam and frowned. "You look paler than usual." he noted. "Are you alright?"

Vietnam looked somewhat taken aback. Recovering quickly, she said, "Ah, yes, I'm okay." Then she glanced to the door. "Excuse me, I'll be back." she murmured, leaving the table.

Austria leaned back in his chair and sighed as Vietnam left the kitchen. Somehow, the kitchen seemed much more...lighter? He didn't know. Earlier, when Vietnam was around, the kitchen seemed cold but Austria thought that was because Germany had the air conditioner on.

When she left, the kitchen regained some sort of warmth. Or maybe it wasn't temperature-wise, but rather atmosphere-wise. Was she in a bad mood?

Japan finished the tea when Vietnam returned, and the cold, almost hostile (yes, Austria decided it was a little hostile) feeling returned. As Japan served the tea, Austria asked, "Are you in a bad mood, Vietnam? What happened?"

Vietnam quietly thanked Japan for the tea and regarded Austria wearily. "It's nothing. I'm just a little worried. My people...I'm not sure, I think everyone is starting to get a little stressed."

Austria nodded understandingly. "I see. And, where did you go, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The restroom." Vietnam said. "I needed to splash my face with water for a while. It helps soothe me."

Japan sat down at the table and asked Austria, "Do you happen to know how many people are here, exactly? I'm thinking of making breakfast for everyone and I need to know how many people are here."

Austria raised and eyebrow as he sipped at his tea. "Hmm...honestly, I'm not sure. Two dozen at the very least. Let's see, there's Germany, you, her..." He nodded to Vietnam, who was labeled 'her'. "Hungary, Liechtenstein, Switzerland...ah, let's see...Russia is here. That Prussia is here, and Turkey...Portugal...ah, Hong Kong, Estonia, Denmark? Yes, he's here. Hmm, I can't quite remember who else. I apologize."

"No need." Japan said quickly. "I'm sure I can remember eventually." Then he stood up and bowed slightly towards Austria and Vietnam. "Excuse me, but I'll be heading back to bed now. Vietnam," he turned towards her. "Please...clean up after me."

Austria shuddered a little. He wasn't sure why but the way Japan talked seemed cold as well. Was _he_ in a bad mood too? He even noticed that when Japan left, the kitchen was definitely more comfortable. There was still something wrong about the atmosphere however, but he wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not.

"Austria?"

Austria glanced at Vietnam, who had stood up. "Yes, what is it?"

Vietnam stepped past Austria and turned so that she was behind him. In a quiet, cool, voice, she murmured, "Good night."

The next thing Austria knew, he had lost feeling throughout his body and he had slumped in his seat, tumbling down towards the ground as his tea cup rattled violently in its saucer.

* * *

><p>Dark Vietnam caught Austria before he fell to the floor. She propped him up and threw his arm around her shoulder, carrying him towards the kitchen door.<p>

Opening the door, she tossed his body on the ground near the bushes and cracked her knuckles. "One down..." she muttered, closing the door shut.

* * *

><p>Dark South Korea was aware of the fact that Austria was in the kitchen with his 'siblings'. He didn't worry about them; it was two against one. And they both had contacts on so they'd probably trick him anyway. No noisy fight in the middle of the night to wake the entire neighborhood up.<p>

The majority of the rooms on the second floor were locked; the ones that were locked were most likely the rooms of the nations becuase the unlocked rooms were empty.

Dark South Korea found it useful that he knew how to pick locks and he successfully got into a locked room after a minute of concentration.

The room belonged to Switzerland. Dark South Korea had to admit he was impressed by the wide range of weapons leaning against the wall of Switzerland's bedroom, and he was almost sorry that he wouldn't get a chance to see how hard they could shoot bullets because he knew he'd be taking Switzerland without a scuffle.

Dark South Korea crept up to Switzerland's bed and watched the sleeping country for a moment. "Funny how sleep and death are nearly the same, da-ze." Dark South Korea murmured to himself before he jabbed at Switzerland's pressure points, knocking him into a much more deeper sleep.

* * *

><p>Dark Japan knew that Dark Vietnam was able to take care of Austria without problems. He was sure of it.<p>

He wandered the hallways in search for the bedrooms located on that floor. There was one bedroom with its door slightly opened ajar; that would be Austria's room, most likely.

He was already taken care of anyway. No need to bother with that room anyway.

The next door was locked but Dark Japan came prepared. Dark South Korea taught him how to pick locks, thinking that it would be useful. Dark Japan didn't want to admit it, but he did find it pretty useful.

The door swung open after two minutes; not bad for his first time. It wasn't like his original actually picked at locks; Dark Japan wouldn't know how until someone actually taught him. He knew that if he, Japan's hatred, learned something, then eventually, his original would learn as well. But that was only when Dark Japan would return back inside his original's body, and that wouldn't happen.

He watched Prussia drool as he slept, covers thrown on the ground and limbs spread out leisurely. He wondered how anyone could sleep like that, but it didn't matter. Dark Japan silently creeped over the unexpecting nation and did his job.

Prussia, too, had fallen into the doppelganger's hand.


	40. Into the Slammer and Japan's Warning

"How now? Why the rush?" Dark England demanded Dark America, who had ran past them hastily inside the Chicago Hideout.

Even though Dark England didn't hurt Italy, Italy had to be blindfolded temporarily so that he wouldn't know the exact location of the hideout. Now that they were inside, Dark England allowed Italy to remove the blindfold, but Italy regretted that; he would have preferred to keep it on.

There were so many doppelgangers that he had spotted on the way in that Italy was sure that he'd faint from the sight of it.

"The countries we held captive were trying to escape." Dark America scoffed. "And now water's flowing into their cells."

"With the power still on?" Dark England asked at once, abandoning his archaic English.

"I dunno. Germany's hatred is going to shut it off but the water spread to the other countries' cells and if they touch the water, ZAP!" Dark America's voice echoed in the hall. "They'd pretty much be electrocuted. That's not very good for them, even if they won't die from it."

"Why don't we leave them _there_?" Dark England asked incredulously. "If it won't kill them-I mean...I mean to say, _t'is a problem not to fret abou_-"

Dark America clapped a hand over Dark England's mouth and hissed, "Oh shut up already. You're going to have to wait a while before putting the new ones in. Besides, if we just leave them there, then we'd be leaving the hole there too. We don't want to flood this place."

Italy tugged his hands and Dark England glanced at him. "What, ho? Speak."

"Will you be serving pasta for lunch?"

Unfortunately for Italy, they weren't.

* * *

><p>"<em>What do you mean you're just going to leave us here, aru<em>?" China demanded, shifting slightly in his place. He and his cellmates had raised themselves off the ground by pressing their hands and feet to the walls of the cell. The water had reached the other cells too and the other nations were scurrying up the walls, trying not get touch the water.

"Don't worry, the water will be gone and England's hatred will do all the cleaning with his magic tricks-" Dark America said, eyeing the waterline so that he too didn't touch it.

"A fool you are." Dark England scolded Dark America. "Tricks...a belittling name for a force-"

"I said stop it with the old English." Dark America interrupted irritably. "Just fix the damn hole, get rid of the water, and toss the other four in. And heal your original a little too. He's bleeding all over the floor." Dark America nodded to England, whose shoulders were still torn open from landing on the ground from a ninety foot throw.

"Trusting me with all the work? And what may I ask thee art to do?"

Dark America stared at Dark England for a moment. "You mean, what am _I_ doing?"

"Ay." Dark England sounded impatient.

Dark America brandished his arm towards Italy, America, England, and France. "Watching after them; you're not going to waste your magic by making those copy things just to look after them. Besides, 75% of them are knocked out anyway. Just go and clean everything up, on the double."

Dark England glowered at Dark America, most likely because he was being ordered around by the likes of him. But he released Italy and the others, allowing Dark America to look over them, and allowed his copies to fade away.

Italy couldn't help but wonder if England used magic like this every day; Dark England cleaned up easily with a flick of the wrist and a mere point of the finger. The bricks in the cell where China, Finland, and Greece were in zoomed out of the water and fit themselves into the hole, sealing the hole up.

The water somehow evaporated within a minute, disappearing into the air without a trace; the air wasn't moist like they all (excluding Dark England, America, England, and France-the last three because they weren't even awake) expected.

The countries in the cells dropped to the ground, relieved. Their limbs were geting numb from holding themselves up for so long.

Dark England scanned the cells slowly, making sure that everything was in order before he snapped his fingers at Dark America. "Get them to a cell."

Dark America grabbed Italy's collar and pulled him up, forcing him to stand. Italy wished that Dark America was gentler in handling his prisoners; he felt like he would have choked.

The other countries wearily watched Italy and the others go by as Dark America pushed them towards one of the empty cells. Dark America had England and France heaved on one shoulder and his original on the other. Italy was scared out of his mind that he didn't even think of running away, despite him having remarkably fast feet.

The hum of the electric bars were off, and many of the countries neared their cell bars, trying to poke their heads out and see what was going on.

Dark America tossed in his original in first; Italy grimaced as America hit the floor limply like a doll. France went in next and before England could be tossed in like a sack of potatoes, Dark England barked, "Soft!"

Dark America paused and turned around to give Dark England a deeply annoyed expression. "Dude, the cell is not soft. How would you think that it's soft? It's solid cement and crap." Dark America stomped on the floor to demonstrate.

Dark England pursed his lips tightly, forming a thin line. "'Soft' means 'wait'."

Dark America clicked his tongue and turned back to the cell. "Then say wait next time, alright? Geez..." But he didn't throw England in yet. Instead he gave Italy a small push towards the cell, and Italy went in without hesitation.

Dark England went to heal England's shoulder a little bit, because he left a trail of crimson in his path and Dark England murmured that he'd only clean it up once before making anyone else clean it with a brush. "Germany's hatred is finicky over cleanliness." Dark England murmured, propping his original up by the wall.

The doppelgangers slammed their cell shut and left them there. The electricity didn't come back up yet and the other countries demanded that Italy should tell them what had happened.

"Ve...it's a long story." Italy said.

"It's not like we're going anywhere, da-ze." Korea said from far away. "What happened?"

Italy took a deep breath and told them everything he knew (which was pretty much everything he knew).

* * *

><p>Dark Japan started to get suspicious. On several occasions, he had heard countries from the second floor gasp in surprise. Just a second before, he heard a small, high pitched scream but it was barely noticeable. The 'scream' was merely a scream about to escape someone's lips, and if he was correct, the voice belonged to Liechtenstein.<p>

And yet, the almost scream should have been loud enough to cause some other countries yet to be captured to stir, even if a little. The silence that followed Liechtenstein's almost scream was nearly unbearable, seeing that nothing had happened after that.

It was suspicious because after all of that noise (which really wasn't much, but then again, anything can happen), no country had risen from his or her bed and checked things out.

So far, they had gotten Austria, Switzerland, Prussia, Cameroon, Hong Kong, Hungary, Turkey, and just now Liechtenstein. There were still quite a few to get and it was almost four in the morning.

"Such a slow process." Dark Japan murmured as he finished sweeping the ground floor. There weren't many bedrooms on the ground floor; the other rooms were casual rooms like living rooms, dining rooms, a library, rooms like those. Dark Vietnam and Dark South Korea had made trips up and down the stairs everytime they captured another country, but it took time because they tried not to make a sound.

"You two can do much better than that." Dark Japan scolded them on his way up.

Dark Vietnam, who had Liechtenstein draped over her right shoulder gave Dark Japan a cold glare. "I never thought I'd hear something like that from you, Mr. We-have-to-be-extra-careful."

Dark South Korea gave Dark Japan an equally hostile glare while shifting Cuba to his other shoulder. "I'd like to see you try too."

Dark Japan watched as the two descended before he continued up.

All the doors were closed and he couldn't tell which rooms Dark Vietnam and Dark South Korea had tried. He tried the first few doors, turning the doorknob. If it turned, he left it there and moved on; it was obvious that the room had already been searched.

When he finally came to a door that wasn't unlocked, Dark Vietnam and Dark South Korea returned, but this time they brought back Dark North Korea and Dark Estonia.

"And all this time he hasn't even tried to escape." Dark North Korea scowled, shooting Dark Estonia a look.

"There wasn't a need to." Dark Estonia said in a business-like tone, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "I was rather comfortable there."

"Whatever, just help us do this, da-ze." Dark South Korea murmured, passing Dark Japan and trying out the next door.

Dark Japan slipped into the room after he picked at its lock. He heard Dark South Korea open the door next to the room he was in and he also heard the others passing by quietly from behind. While everyone else was busy with their own thing, Dark Japan silently moved along the walls, eyes trained on the bed in the middle of the room.

He couldn't see who was in the bed; the covers were thrown over the head. Dark Japan frowned. He was suspicious again. Who slept like that? He wondered if it was a habit for a certain country to sleep with the covers thrown all the way over their head and he threw the covers back a little so that he could see who he was dealing with.

No one; only multiple sheets rolled up to take form of a 'human-like' shape.

Dark Japan spun around in alarm, realizing he was tricked. He couldn't do anything, however, because a flash of silver pierced his throat and pinned him to the wall. Dark Japan's blood spilled over the carpet, and he tried to spat at his original for catching him off guard.

Japan had heard noises from below earlier and had looked outside the window where the noise was coming from. He had seen Vietnam throw Austria outside near the bushes and wondered what had gotten into her. That was when he realized that it wasn't Vietnam he was seeing, but Dark Vietnam.

From there he waited with his katana in the corner of his room, expecting a doppelganger to come in and take him. It was about time they came, and he was glad Prussia had found a temporary way to stop a doppelganger; stabbing them through the throat and holding them there.

Japan thought that the throat was a good place because not only can the doppelganger not speak, but because of the constant pain or reaction to pain at the throat, it made it difficult for the doppelganger to reach up and grab the sword and take it out before their arms and hands would flinch away.

Dark Japan grimaced and jumped violently every few seconds, as if his wound tried to close up but the sword prevented it to, and instead caused a reaction. Japan wasn't sure if the sword would hold for long though, and he stabbed the doppelganger's wrists to the wall as well with backup katanas he carried.

It was an uncomfortable thing to do; Japan wasn't sure how to respond to a doppelganger of himself pinned to the wall while everlasting blood flowed out from it.

Dark Japan tried to hiss something but a small raspy sound escaped his mouth. Japan looked him over wearily and noticed he had normal eyes, not red.

"Contacts?" he whispered to himself. Then Japan glanced towards the slightly opened door of his room. An idea sprung up and he glanced back at his doppelganger, who was struggling to remove the swords but to no avail.

Deeming it safe to leave Dark Japan there, Japan hurried to dress in the same clothes Dark Japan had (being a doppelganger, Dark Japan had clothes exactly like his original). When he was fully clothed, he left the room and closed the door, hoping he could pass off as one of them.

The realization of coming out of a room without a country slung over his shoulders came a second too late and he glanced down the hall worriedly, waiting for one of the doppelgangers to question why he didn't take the country out. But none of them were in the hallway; they were all in a room.

Japan quietly passed by the rooms, peering into them quickly as he did. Dark South Korea was slumping Denmark's body over his shoulder and Dark North Korea, who was in the room opposite of Dark South Korea, was busy dealing with Canada.

Japan skipped several doors; he only had one room in mind and that was Germany's, who was sleeping in the very last room of the hall.

His room was locked, and Japan didn't know how to pick the lock. He sighed at himself, and he wondered how his doppelganger could pick locks and he couldn't. Japan shot an uneasy sideways glance towards the other rooms where the doppelgangers were. If he didn't hurry, they'd see him there.

Of course, he could yell and wake up the rest of the house, but that would alarm the doppelgangers and he'd have to hold the three of them off (Dark Japan would still be left undiscovered until one of the doppelgangers find him) before the others wake up.

But that would cause a fight, and fighting in a hallway in Germany's house was something Japan could not allow. Germany was very clean and orderly; he'd go into cleaning mode instead of fighting mode, Japan was sure. That or he'd be troubled by the mess and half heartedly fight.

Japan lightly knocked on Germany's door, hoping that the other doppelgangers didn't hear.

Silence. No answer. Japan really didn't expect Germany to wake up after a tiny rap on the wood but it wished that Germany heard him and tried again, daring to be slightly louder.

No answer.

Japan was about to quickly return to his room and wait for the doppelgangers to carry their captives down the stairs before trying again, but the door finally opened to his relief and Germany glanced down at Japan, rubbing his eyes. "What is it, Japan?" Germany asked roughly.

Japan hushed Germany and ushered him back into his room, following him. He closed the door softly from behind, determined not to attract attention from the others.

"What's going on Japan?" Germany asked, frowning.

"Doppelgangers." Japan whispered urgently. "I heard them come in." he added as Germany gave him an alarmed look.

The German raced to his window and glanced outside. Japan heard him curse and he knew that Germany had seen the pile of unconscious countries by the bushes. "Dark Japan is in my room right now but I temporarily disabled him. Dark North and South Korea is here and so is Dark Vietnam." Japan said. "I heard that Dark North Korea freed Dark Estonia as well."

Germany was grim for a while. Then he walked to his closet and pulled the door open. Japan shifted his weight from one foot to the other as Germany rummaged through his belongings. Japan nearly lost his balance in shock when Germany emerged back out with a shotgun.

"But they can't be wounded." Japan said as Germany loaded the gun. "At least, not permanently."

"No, but they still react to it." Germany growled. "And with this, we'll wake the rest of the countries. There's still quite a bit of us left and we can hold them off. Plus, we can capture them." Germany nodded to his closet. "Go on. Pick a gun and go."


	41. Five Doppelgangers verses the Nations

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Japan asked Germany nervously as Germany opened the door a crack. Even though his own doppelganger was disabled for the time being, it didn't make him feel better that there were still four others that had a good chance of overtaking them.

From what Japan knew, Dark North and South Korea were sure to have something to fuel their hatred (for example, the war) and the same could be said about Dark Vietnam. Dark Estonia, on the other hand, was a hatred that Japan didn't know much about. The only thing he knew about anything Estonia could have hated or disliked was the fact that during World War II, he had lost 25% of his population.

Japan glanced down at the weapon in his hands and wondered if he had the power to prevent another bad thing from happening; perhaps he had waited too long for them to come to him.

_No, if I didn't wait, then I would have been overpowered and Germany would not know until it is too late._ Japan thought firmly. _I must help him defend. _

Germany peered out from his room for a long minute. Then he raised a hand and beckoned for Japan to come. Even when Japan approached him, Germany didn't look at him; he was still watching the hall. Instead, he held up three fingers, then two...

Japan prepared himself as the last finger went down and they both bursted out from the room, firing shots at the doppelgangers trying to pick at more locks.

The force of the gun Japan wielded sent him back a step; he wasn't used to guns like these. But Germany covered for him as Japan adjusted himself. Pumping the shotgun, Germany watched as Dark North Korea slipped past Dark South Korea, whose head jerked back as a bullet hit him. Then Dark North Korea sprinted past the bullets, zig zagging from side to side, making his way towards Germany with a hungry look in his eyes.

Germany was ready for him; he turned the gun sideways so that he held both ends with his hands and clashed into Dark North Korea, the gun being used as a barrier. Dark North Korea was incredibly strong; Germany knew that but he refused to let him have the upper hand.

He heard Japan aim from behind and Germany yelled, "Now, Japan!" Germany released his shotgun and ducked as a volley of bullets flew overhead, drawing Dark North Korea's blood. Dark North stumbled back a little as he was hit and his blood splattered over the walls and paintings. The shotgun fell to the ground and Germany made a grab for it, standing up. Before Dark North Korea could ready himself, Germany butted him with the end of his shotgun and round-housed kicked him, sending the doppelganger away from his range.

The fight had aroused several countries that hadn't been captured; many doors opened and heads timidly poked out. "What's going on here?" New Zealand asked, glancing down the hall. He paled as others emerged from their rooms.

"Germany, why-" Vietnam started but she stopped when her gaze met Dark Vietnam's. Her face darkened as her doppelganger smiled slyly.

_Back up._ Germany thought as the doppelgangers regathered up at the end of the hallway. Germany reasoned he and the others would be okay even if they didn't have guns with them; there were now a good number of them that it didn't matter and the doppelgangers didn't look like they had guns. All he had to do was avoid hitting the real countries.

Doing a quick head count, there were nine of them all together (Germany, Japan, Vietnam, Russia, New Zealand, Estonia, Portugal, Malaysia, and Belarus) ; the others were outside laying on the ground somewhere. Germany would have to retrieve them after the fight, depending on the victor.

"That one isn't the real one, is it?" Dark South Korea regarded Japan with disgust. "He slipped by, da-ze."

Japan wondered if the doppelgangers would free the real Dark Japan and he also wondered if they were able to hold their own with five doppelgangers. His stomach sunk when he realized that Dark Japan would be furious at him and he would be merciless, no doubt.

"What do we do, Germany?" Russia asked pleasantly, rubbing his eyes. "Do we want to capture and torture them or let them go?"

"Why let them go when they can be valuable information sources?" Malaysia asked, rolling his shoulders. "Are we capturing them, Germany?"

The original countries jumped as Germany fired a shot. "Why are you talking when you can overwhelming them?" Germany demanded, walking towards the doppelgangers.

He saw a blur past him and watched with approval as Belarus drew her knife from her sleeve. "Please watch me, Big Brother!" Belarus yelled as she ran down the hall.

Dark Vietnam slipped her foot behind her, crouched down, and launched herself forward towards Belarus. Russia joined Germany and clapped the German on the back. "Should I leave things to her or should I assist?"

"She's your sister." Germany said as he lifted the shotgun once more to aim at Dark North Korea, who ran past Belarus's fight with Dark Vietnam. Malaysia and Portugal advanced towards Dark North Korea and with Germany assisting them from behind, they managed to keep Dark North Korea at bay for a while. "It's up to you if you want to help her or not." Germany added after firing another shot that ripped up Dark North Korea's shoulder. It healed right away and Germany scowled.

"Vietnam," Russia called from behind. Vietnam took her distant gaze off of her doppelganger and looked at Russia, somewhat startled. "How strong do you think your hatred it?" Russia asked with a sweet smile.

Whether or not the smile was really a smile or just a facade, Vietnam wasn't sure. She was troubled by the thought of her doppelganger and she realized why some of the countries were worrying over their hatred. "I never liked talking about my past." she said, defeated. "It's painful for me. I don't want to admit it, but I think...it's rather strong."

"That's good to hear." Russia beamed. He gave Germany a warm smile. "Excuse me, but I'm going to go and protect my sister."

"I thought you didn't like her."

"Yes, but America changed my mind." Russia said, smiling. "He's the first person to actually become my friend. I didn't force him to either. It feels nice to have a friend, and maybe Belarus would stop bothering me if I try being friendly."

Germany didn't want to break it to Russia, but he was sure Belarus would become more determined to marry him. He kept his mouth shut as Russia left him, heading towards Belarus who had barely dodged a kick from Dark Vietnam.

Japan swept the hall with his eyes, concerned about where Dark South Korea was. He hadn't seen the doppelganger for a while and he wondered what he could be up to. When the door to his room slammed open, dread filled him. Dark South Korea freed Dark Japan, and like Japan had expected, his doppelganger was furious.

Dark Japan surveyed the hall for a while, avoiding punches and swings from the surrounding fighters. He was pierced a few times with bullets but ducked away from Germany's shotgun and slipped past the brawl. His red eyes were glued on Japan, and Japan knew he wanted revenge.

Japan shot at his doppelganger but it was nearly futile. Frowning, Japan sidestepped his doppelganger as he approached. There was a lot of ducking and blocking on Japan's part, but every block he made and every dodge he did, it only provoked Dark Japan to hit harder, move faster, and become more agile.

Japan's defense began to get sloppy and he finally allowed a blow to hit him. And then another, and another.

"Tired already?" Dark Japan hissed dangerously, wrapping a hand around Japan's neck. He held a fist back, getting ready to deliver another blow. "You should have trained more."

Germany swept in and saved Japan from being pummeled any further. Dark Japan was sent crashing into the wall after Germany caught him with his fist. Japan fell to the ground, dazed and sore. Germany growled at him, "I expected more from you. What happened?"

"I am sorry." Japan murmured. He didn't even know what had happened. Perhaps he was apprehensive about his doppelganger, especially after what he had done to it. He grimaced at the memory of it; it was repulsive.

Dark Japan regarded Germany coldly. Then his eyes flickered to Japan, who stood up. "Allow me, Germany." Japan said, stepping forward with a glare.

"Good to see that you're regained your sense." Germany growled. Then he threw a look over his shoulder and yelled, "Hey! Watch your back, Malaysia!" And he sent a few more shots in the other direction.

While Germany was distracted, Dark Japan switched targets and went after the German. Japan, alarmed, made a move towards Germany, but he had to wonder if it was possible to reach him in time. Dark Japan and the other doppelgangers all had enhanced speed, and even though Japan was only three or four steps away from Germany, Dark Japan could reach Germany within two seconds from ten feet away (although that was from observation).

Japan's mouth couldn't work; he wanted to call out Germany's name but he just couddn't. Would he make it? Could he make it? Dark Japan was too close now, and Japan felt like he was stuck in this slow motion type of state, where he could only watch Dark Japan attack Germany.

_I can't make it...I'm sorry Germany._

* * *

><p>Dark Japan tensed as he was caught a split second before he could attack Germany. From his sleeve, he had brandished a tanto and was going to get rid of Germany, who had a range advantage. 'Rid' probably wasn't the right word; disable was more like it, like how his original tried to disable <em>him<em>.

But there he was, stopped an inch before the short blade could even hit Germany. His arm was held shakily by Japan, and he tried to force the blade forward only to have Japan apply his strength and push it away. Japan looked equally surprised. He recovered and sighed with relief. "I'm glad I made it in time." he murmured, and then he gripped his doppelganger's arm and rammed his body into Dark Japan.

The two crashed into the wall and Japan had wrapped his hands around Dark Japan's, forcing the tanto towards Dark Japan himself. Dark Japan pushed off of the wall with his foot and tossed Japan to the ground.

Japan barrel-rolled and lifted himself up to his feet in a crouching position, the tanto in his hand. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw that Germany was gone; Germany had left to help Vietnam fight off Dark Vietnam. Belarus and Russia were distracted by Dark North Korea and left the fighting to Vietnam herself.

Now that Japan had a weapon, he felt like he had more power. Panting slightly, Japan stood up and held the tanto out, the blade shining in the light. Confidence restored, Japan braced himself for Dark Japan, who lunged at him, red eyes gleaming.


	42. Attempt to Break Out and Honor

Spain's head hurt, and it throbbed horribly. In fact, if he wasn't being slung over someone's back, he'd probably lie down and wait for the pain to subside. Of course, the fact that he was hit and was being carried to somewhere while blindfolded wasn't a good sign, and for once Spain knew the possible danger he was in.

Luckily for him, the uncomfortable shoulder ride ended shortly after he regained consciousness. He felt the person carrying him toss him over and Spain grunted as he hit the floor. He heard several people murmuring but he couldn't make out what they were saying. The sound of a metal door provoked a small, "Ohhh..." from him. He was being locked up in a cell somewhere. And by the sounds of it, other people were captured as well.

It didn't seem like he was the only one. There were several other cell doors (Spain was quite certain they were cell doors) that rattled open and slammed shut.

"How many more are there?" a voice asked from far away. It sounded eerily like himself. Could it be Dark Spain?

"T'is not much. A mere five to fill our cups." another voice said quietly. Spain knew that voice anywhere; it was England. Or, it would seem, England's doppelganger. Spain couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It had been a while since he heard England speak that way. What was it, five hundred or so years ago? Was it really five hundred? It seemed like last century.

The doppelgangers left and the voices around Spain erupted. "You guys too?" came America's voice.

"Not so loud...my ears hurt." England muttered.

"Spain, are you okay?" Belgium asked nervously from her cell.

"He doesn't look too bad." Lithuania remarked. "But Monoco looked a little beaten up."

"Monoco!" France's voice cried out in alarm. "Ma fleur, are you okay?"

"Everyone, please be quiet." Ukraine said nervously. She let out a small laugh. "If everyone is this loud then it won't be good for those hurt, right?"

Spain felt someone come closer to him. Their fingers tugged at the knot of his blindfold and within a few seconds, Spain was able to see where he was.

"Yay!" Korea grinned. "You can see again, da-ze."

Spain glanced down at his hands, which were binded together by a tight nylon rope.

"Oh, right, da-ze. Your hands are tied up." Korea frowned. He sighed and motioned for Spain to lift his hands.

Spain laughed as Korea struggled with the ropes. "How can you be laughing at a horrible situation as this, da-ze?" Korea asked Spain, giving up on the ropes.

The Netherlands took over for Korea and Spain smiled at him. "You're here too? I'm glad to know you're safe-"

"Shut up." The Netherlands scowled at him. "I'm only doing this because it's a disadvantage if you're tied up. I'm doing this for everyone else's sake, not yours."

Spain blinked and then he laughed. "Even so, I'm glad to kno-"

"What did I just tell you? Shut up." The Netherlands loosened the ropes and yanked them away from Spain's hands.

"Thank you-"

"You don't listen, do you?" the Netherlands muttered, standing up.

"Why don't we calm down and tell the new ones what's going to happen, ana?" Thailand asked, giving Spain a smile in which Spain returned back.

Korea jumped to his feet and said, "Okay! Listen up everyone, I'm not going to repeat myself, da-ze! Oi, you in the back, are you paying attention, da-ze? Good, don't sleep on me, da-ze. Just to let you guys know, I completely came up with this plan all by myself, da-ze. It originated from m-"

"We get it, we get it, aru." China growled. "Hurry up and explain your plan again."

Korea rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Okay, so we know from Italy that the doppelgangers vanish if you don't want to hate anymore, da-ze. So that means we just have to not hate, da-ze! _But_, that's harder than it seems. Especially for some countries, da-ze. Italy is lovable and nice and everything so it was easy for him but some aren't that way, da-ze."

Spain perked. "Italy is here? Is he okay?"

"Oh, thanks for showing concern for the rest of us, da-ze." Korea rolled his eyes. "No, I'm kidding, da-ze. Yeah, Italy's fine. Now where am I...? Oh yeah! That's one thing we know, da-ze. Another thing we know is that Dark England is very strong-"

"I believe that's an understatement." England piped up.

"Oh shut up." America sighed. "We all know how powerful you were and all of that, but you don't have to brag about it."

"I'm not bragging-"

"Mon cher...you're bragging-"

"_I'm not bragging!_"

"Hey, da-ze!" Korea snapped. "Quiet back there, da-ze!" Korea heaved a sigh and folded his arms. "So we have to be careful of him. According to the bird-"

"Mr. Puffin." Mr. Puffin said from Iceland's shoulder. "My name is Mr. Puffin."

"Yeah, Mr. Puffin found out what the doppelgangers are up to, da-ze." Korea said. "And I learned in Guangzhou that there is no invasion-"

"What invasion?" Spain asked.

Korea's shoulder slumped. "So many interruptions, da-ze." he murmured. "How can high school teachers stand it, da-ze? Anyway, in Guangzhou, I learned that they were planning to invade Germany and take over from there, da-ze. BUT it is later proved to be false information and I um, leaked that false info to Germany and now he thinks that they'll be invading him, da-ze."

"That's a bad thing because Germany will be calling back as many countries as possible to defend it, aru." China interrupted as Korea threw his hands up into the air, murmuring how he quit. "With every country in Germany, I think that allows the doppelgangers to freely wipe out the rest of the world, aru. By the time they realize what's going on, millions would be dead, aru."

Spain suppressed a shudder. "Then what are we going to do?"

"We're going to break out of here, go to Germany's, and save the world!" America said, grinning. Then he faltered and groaned, "Aw man, I'm so loud...my ears are hurting now..."

"How do we break out?" Norway asked bitterly.

"Huh? Norway is here, da-ze?" Korea peered through the bars.

"I just got here with Spain and Monoco and whoever else." Norway said with a sigh.

"Well I got here too just now." the Phillipines said timidly. "That makes four of us and Spain's doppelganger said that there are five new ones. Who's the other?"

"We have Australia here." Finland said. "But he's still knocked out."

"So in other words, we have a lot of people." Greenland said. "Okay, the more the better so far in our plan."

"The plan...which is...?" Norway urged.

"Are the bars still electrified?" America asked.

"No, the power is off but we're not sure for how long." Taiwan said. "Hurry and break us free!"

America glanced at England. "Are you sure that my wounds won't reopen?"

"Are you doubting my healing skills?"

"Dude, I always doubt yo-"

England sent a glare towards America.

"But okay, okay, I trust you. This once." he added to himself, smiling.

Norway glanced around his cell. Poland, Seychelles, and Greenland were his cellmates and they were staring at the wall closer to America's voice, waiting. Norway sighed. He still didn't know what the plan was, and it unnerved him that he didn't. He wasn't sure if it was safe or if it was flawed, but he'd have to trust them because they were in there the longest.

Besides, there were some countries in here that knew when to be serious; there were some who were reliable as well so he probably shouldn't worry. Now if his brother, Denmark was here, he'd have something to worry about. But Denmark wasn't there, and Norway could relax for a while.

A loud clang shocked him out of his thoughts. America laughed and said, "Yes! One bar down! Man, my feet hurts..."

"Only one bar, but there's still, like, totally more than one left to go." Poland said.

America stared at the single bar he broke. Then he threw an uneasy look back at England. "Hey...you don't think you can use your magic and break us all out at the same time, can you?"

England closed his eyes in thought. "I wasted a lot of magic already." he murmured. "And I wasted more healing you. If you want me to collapse of fatigue, then sure."

"Okay, England's going to break us out you guys." America called, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"You idiot, I was being sarcastic!" England said, exasperated.

"Well I can't usually tell when you're sarcastic or not." America said. "Can you at least restore my original strength? If I had all my strength back, I can break through this no problem."

"Wait, if you can restore America's strength, why don't you restore your own strength, aru?" China asked. "Then you can use all the magic you want."

England rubbed his temples irritably. "Magic doesn't work that way. There's a specific rule that states you can't restore magic with more magic."

"Well how would we know that?" France asked. "We didn't even know you even practiced magic. You kept it hidden from us all this time."

England scoffed. "There's a good reason why. People would bother me to use magic for trivial matters." Then he sighed.

It was quiet for a while. America picked up where he had left off, breaking off pieces of the bars one at a time. They were very thick, but the Netherlands was right about them being hollow. Italy helped America out by holding onto the bars as he kicked at them so that they wouldn't fall to the ground and alert the doppelgangers.

After a few minutes, England straightened up with a loud, "Oh!"

"Hm? What is it England?" Greece asked.

"I have a back-up wand I always carry around that stores extra magic." England said. Then he reddened. It seemed embarrasing to say something like that. A wand? What would the others think now?

"That's great, ana!" Thailand cheered.

"Phew, see, now England is one of those people you can rely on, aru." China laughed.

"What about me, da-ze?"

"Uhh...no comment, aru."

"That's my line, da-ze."

"Go on, England." America said, relieved. "You can be the hero this time."

England smiled to himself. Okay, so maybe there was a benefit on carrying the old spare wand around after all. He'd forgotten about it until now.

America, Italy, and France crowded around England, wanting to see what the wand looked like. It must have been a mystical, amazing looking item if it stored magic, and they had seen a lot of magic lately and they were somewhat intrigued (even though France and America were reluctant to say that they were).

The wand was a stick with a gold star sitting on the top.

France and America were crestfallen but Italy clapped his hands together. "Ve! England that is so cool!"

England twirled the wand in his hands. "Now let's see here. After we break out, there's something we four have to do. The rest of you will escape. Head to the top-most floor and you'd probably be above land-"

"Wait, above land?" Spain repeated.

"Ana, we're underwater." Thailand said.

Spain nodded slowly. Things were happening too quickly and so suddenly. First there was the doppelganger thing, then there was magic that England had all this time (Spain wondered, was that how England defeated him so many times back in their pirate ages?), and then the underwater thing. What else was he missing on?

"So when you are on land, head towards Lake Michigan. There, you'll see a boat that we came in. We'll meet you there soon. Well, actually..." England paused, cocking his head in thought. "Italy, go with them. I'll leave you in charge of leading them back to safety."

Italy stood at attention, saluting England. "Yes, sir!"

England blinked. He wasn't used to be called 'sir', especially by another country. Normally, those who were called 'sir' were those knighted by the Queen (he found it somewhat ironic that he, the actual country, wasn't knighted and he had complained to the Queen on several occasions, only to be defeated). He heard that in some countries, it was normal, and so he decided to not take notice (though he coudln't help but grin to himself).

"What are you guys going to do?" asked the Phillippines.

"We're searching for weapons and we're going to destroy them." England said. "That's about it, right? Or did Germany ask us to do something else as well?"

"No, that is it." France said. "Now stop talking and hurry up and free us."

"Yeah England, I thought that the Dark Englands had said that you're supposed to be 'hasty like a hare'." America grinned. "Aaaannnddd, I still have no clue what that means. I should google it sometime."

England considered wiping America's memory clean of that incident; he thought the joke was gettng old and he would die of embarrassment if America found out what it meant. But he didn't wipe America's memory; he tapped the bars with the wand and started to chant.

And the wand snapped in half.

America, France, and Italy stared at the broken wand and England suddenly went into his corner of woe, knees pulled up, arms wrapped around them, head burrowed in his arms, and a dark depressing aura surrounded him.

"I heard a snap, da-ze." Korea said. "It sounded like a bone snapping, da-ze." England groaned. "No, it sounded like ice breaking, da-ze." England groaned again, only louder. "Oh wait, da-ze! It sounds like a tree snapping in a thunderstorn, da-ze!"

"Aiya, stop it, aru." China chided Korea as England's depressing aura worsened. "Don't make the man cry, aru."

"Oh well." Lithuania said anxiously. "We'll be okay without the magic. We can help America break the bars. If we all work together as a team, we can get out of here."

"Sounds like a plan." Belgium smiled. "Come on everyone. We have a lot of work to do."

* * *

><p>Japan panted in sync with his doppelganger. Those of had tried to help Japan were told to leave him be, since it was his fight and that his honor was at stake. The doppelgangers left Dark Japan alone too, because they knew all too well that Dark Japan also had his honor at stake.<p>

"What honor?" Japan scolded his doppelganger. "You discreetly attack us. There is no honor in that."

"Sometimes you have to disregard your honor to gain your goal." Dark Japan scowled. "I do not like it either, but we will stop at absolutely nothing to reach it."

"You truly are dark." Japan panted, his grip on his tanto tightening.

Dark Japan said nothing. He gritted his teeth and lunged himself at Japan and their fight continued. Japan hadn't been in a fight like this in quite some time. When was the last time he felt his adrenaline rush through him? When was the last time he had narrowly dodged a furious fist or a bone-crunching kick so successfully? Every punch Dark Japan dealt, every kick Dark Japan did, Japan would always be so close to avoid it.

Even with his tanto, Japan felt like he still needed something better to gain the upper hand. There were times where his tanto would draw Dark Japan's blood; his doppelganger's blood would spew into the air, splattering across Japan's face and his clothes. The wound always healed, but Dark Japan's glare would only worsen until it contorted to pure hate.

There were times where Dark Japan would pull in an unexpecting country and Japan would be more cautious in striking, in case if he hurt the country itself. Dark Japan used Japan's hesitance to his advantage and would often catch Japan slightly off-guard.

Japan wasn't the only country fighting with his own doppelganger. Vietnam was also fighting, and she too was fighting for her honor. Germany, who had been trying to help her, found out that the Asian countries had a strong sense of honor and were willing to protect it. Vietnam had refused help from Germany and Germany wasn't sure if he should violate her honor and help her out or respect her wish and risk her safety.

He didn't have much time to think about it, because he had to deal with Dark North Korea who was taking on Malaysia, Portugal and Estonia at the same time without too much trouble.

Vietnam's ponytail came loose and she sported several bruises along with a couple of gashes where her blood dripped onto the carpet. Dark Vietnam looked over her original and said icily, "I've fought better fights."

Vietnam panted for a while and then she breathed, "Don't worry. I'll give you a fight to remember."

Dark Vietnam's eyes gleamed. "We'll see." And then she lunged. Vietnam side-stepped the first few punches and blocked many after. After ducking a kick, she swept her leg underneath Dark Vietnam to knock her off her feet.

Dark Vietnam landed on her back but rolled out of the way when Vietnam brought down her foot. Vietnam clicked her tongue in frustration as her doppelganger got back up. It was difficult to fight someone who knew all your moves and had the same fighting style as you. She didn't know when the fight would end, but she knew that if it continued, her stamina would deplenish. In the end, the fight was to see who would last the longest.

Before Dark Vietnam could approach again, Japan flew in between them and crashed into the painting on the wall before falling to the ground, grimacing in pain.

"You're making a mess." Dark Vietnam told Dark Japan, who joined her side.

"It can't be helped." he replied. His eyes flickered to Vietnam, who hurried to Japan to help him up.

"Thank you." Japan muttered, wincing. "It seems as if we can't defeat them this way."

Vietnam frowned. "They know our moves, they know how we fight and they anticipate what we do and counter it. We do the same as well, but they have more energy to keep it up...how can we win with honor?"

Japan watched as Dark Japan and Dark Vietnam slipped out of their normal poise and into their fighting stances. Japan glanced at Vietnam and then he said, "Switch."

Vietnam blinked at him. "What?"

"You fight with my doppelganger and I'll fight with yours." Japan said, brushing off fragments of the broken painting off of himself. "They won't be able to read our moves as easily now."

Vietnam stared at Japan for a while and then at Dark Japan. "I see...alright, we'll try it. There's not other option now."

Japan and Vietnam side-stepped each other and they now faced the other's doppelganger. Dark Japan and Dark Vietnam exchanged glances but they shared a knowing nod. "Clever, but it's futile." Dark Japan said.

"We'll defeat you all the same." Dark Vietnam added.

"Maybe, but we'll see." Japan said.

Vietnam nodded. "Fate is a funny thing. Anything can happen, bear that in mind."

"Fate huh?" Dark Vietnam murmured. "In whose favor, I wonder." And with that she and Dark Japan lunged at their originals.

* * *

><p>Germany's trigger-finger was itching, and he was tempted to shoot at Dark Japan and Dark Vietnam but left them alone.<p>

Dark North and South Korea were fighting alongside each other, just like how the other two were, but they seemed to be in competition. Germany would hear how Dark South Korea note that he had hit so and so more than Dark North Korea while Dark North Korea growled he had sent more people flying than his brother.

Germany couldn't take their 'casual competition'. It irked him because it showed that they were occupied with a trivial thing and not focused on the fighting itself.

So he did what his trigger-finger wanted to do; he shot at them. Blood stained the walls even more and the floor was starting to get a dirty red color. Germany knew that it would take forever to get it cleaned up; he might have to get a new carpet (it was right here when he regretted getting a carpeted floor in the first place and not a tile or wooden one where it was easier to clean up).

His firing gave Malaysia the chance to sweep in and knock the Dark Korea brothers off their feet. "Malaysia, here!" Portugal called, tossing one of Japan's katanas through the air. It was dangerous, throwing naked blades around but the Koreas were healing and getting back up.

Malaysia caught the blade easily and flipped it around hastily, the hilt in his hand with the blade pointing downwards at Dark North Korea's neck. Portugal tossed another katana to Belarus and she didn't hesitate to stab the sword through Dark South Korea's neck.

Dark North Korea hissed as Dark South Korea's blood stained his face. Then, when Malaysia stabbed the sword through Dark North Korea's neck, Portugal tossed the last katana to Russia a few feet away from the Dark Koreas. Russia caught it easily, gave Dark Estonia a bright smile, and said, "I'm sorry, but I'll have to stab you now. I hope you don't mind."

Germany slammed the butt of his gun on the ground as Dark Estonia was pinned down to the floor as well. "Teamwork goes a long way." he noted as the others brushed off dirt form themselves.

"I feel like a vampire hunter." Portugal sighed, wiping his bloodied hands on his pants. "Do you think garlic will keep the doppelgangers away?"

Malaysia and New Zealand laughed together and Russia beamed at them. Belarus went to Russia and clung onto his arm. "Did you see me, Big Brother?" she asked him urgently.

Russia looked down at Belarus and nodded. Belarus nodded in approval and leaned her head onto his arm. "I'm glad, Big Brother." she said.

Belarus seemed much calmer and mild whenever Russia acknowledged her. Germany thought that it was a nice change.

Now if only Japan and Vietnam would have a change of heart in honor and allow the others to help but he knew that they wouldn't when honor has been in their culture for a long time. Although Japan was more picky about it than Vietnam, now that Germany thought about it.

"Portugal, katana!" Japan and Vietnam yelled over their shoulders.

Portugal looked bewildered. "Where? I only found three in your room, Japan!"

Japan and Vietnam had pressed their backs against their doppelgangers at the wall, but they seemed to be struggling keeping them there. Any second longer and it seemed as if they'd lose control again.

Malaysia pointed towards his room and shouted, "I have a few kampilans in my room! Use them!"

Portugal assumed they were swords and rushed towards Malaysia's room with Malaysia yelling after him that they were underneath his bed.

Portugal returned soon and rushed over to Dark Japan and Dark Vietnam, who were trapped behind a faltering Japan and Vietnam. "Please hurry." Vietnam said, her voice strained.

Portugal unsheathed a kampilan and placed the two-split tip at the base of Dark Japan's throat before forcing it through and into the wall. Japan fell to knees, panting heavily, very relieved. Then Portugal unsheathed the other and did the same to Dark Vietnam.

All the doppelgangers were now disabled and pinned down, their wounds trying to heal but were prevented by the swords.

Vietnam fell to the floor and heaved a sigh. "It's over..."


	43. England Would Doom Us All

"Good work." Germany said as everyone sat down on the floor, too tired to care if they were sitting on a bloodstained carpet or not. "Now let's transfer these doppelgangers to the prison not too far away and clean up before the sun rises."

"But...Germany..." New Zealand said weakly. "It's the middle of the night and there's too much work to be done around here. I'm willing to take these four to prison though, but won't they escape? I think it's useless."

"We can't leave them here." Germany said with a heavy sigh. "These swords won't hold them in forever."

Silence. "Why don't we wake up the others outside?" Russia suggested, breaking the stillness. "They can help."

Germany nodded. "Russia, why don't you and New Zealand go and wake the others? We'll think of something eventually."

"I'm going with Russia." Belarus declared firmly, jumping up to her feet.

Germany stared at her.

Belarus glared back at him.

"Fine, go with them." Germany said wearily, waving them away. He didn't feel like putting up an argument with her anyway.

With those three gone, he said to the others, "Wait here. I'll be back and we'll treat the wounds."

Germany returned with first aid kits a few minutes later. He kept all of his first aid supplies in the bathrooms and in his room, and seeing that his room had more kits, he went there instead. Closing his closet full of weaponry and provisions, he returned to the hallway.

The corridor was filled with countries spread out all over the place; the ones that participated in the fight were still on the ground and they were trying to tell the others who had been knocked out what had happened.

Prussia scoffed. "Ah, damnit. It sounded like fun. And these are some strong ones too." He looked over all five doppelgangers, only to scoff again. "Aw, damnit."

"Believe me, it's not fun." Japan murmured, holding out his arm for Germany to bandage. The countries that were unharmed flocked to the first aid kits that Germany placed on the ground and began to tend to the ones who were wounded.

"Not so tight..." Estonia grimaced as Prussia ranted on and on about how awesome he'd be if he was there.

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Prussia unwrapped the bandage and redid it. "But I'm still pissed off. That's it, West, I'm moving into the room next to you. All the action takes place around here."

"There are already people residing there." Germany said pointedly, fastening Japan's bandage together.

"Okay, I'll move into your room then. Just like old times, am I right?" Prussia grinned.

"No."

"What?" Prussia stopped his work to stare at his brother. "West, how can you deny your own brother like that? You know, I think this doppelganger thing has gotten to your head. I'll give you time to think about it-"

"No."

"West!"

"What?" Germany gave Prussia a fixed glare. "Stop being so loud."

Prussia rolled his eyes. "Seriously, be considerate to the awesome me for once. It'll be fun if you have me over. Like we're camping and everything."

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"I'm not-"

"No."

"_Wes_t-"

"No."

Prussia stared at Germany again and then he chuckled. "Alright, fine. I'll stay where I am because the room I already have is awesomer than your room. West, one day, you'll come to realize that you should have let the awesome me in. You'll regret how you missed out how awesome sleeping with me is."

"You make it sound so _vulgar_." Austria snapped. He shook his head and murmured, "Please, for everyone's sake, stop talking like that."

"Like what? Awesomely?"

"How the hell do you cope with him?" Hungary asked Germany as she helped Vietnam to her feet.

"I usually ignore him or duct tape his mouth shut." Germany muttered under his breath as he started to clean up Portugal's crimson shin.

* * *

><p>"That was fun, everyone." Romania grinned, stepping out of his cell. "It's a good workout."<p>

"Getting some excercise, right?" America asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Phew, we're finally free. Man, I'm still hungry...kinda wish we made it to Olive Garden before Dark England came."

"No time to talk, we have to act now." England said, brushing the dirt from his pants. He took a moment to sought out Iceland and Mr. Puffin. When his eyes landed on them, he said, "Mr. Puffin, I assume you have better knowledge of the hideout than we. Will you help Italy?"

Mr. Puffin cocked his head. "Yeah, yeah, I know my way around kinda. I'll help the kid."

England nodded. "Right then. Everyone, follow Mr. Puffin and Italy. If you encounter a doppelganger, run. Italy..." England gave Italy a slightly amused look. "Don't run faster than anybody else, okay? You're their guide and if they lose sight of you, they're bound to fail."

"Well gee, thanks for having faith in us, da-ze." Korea grinned. "Nah, I'm kidding, da-ze."

They split up at the first intersection they came across. Mr. Puffin flapped his wings and bounded into the air, flying a few feet ahead of Italy with everyone else trailing behind.

France watched them nervously. "With that many people, it'll be a miracle if they haven't been found. Or heard."

"Mm..." America sighed. "Oh well. We're off to look for these ultra big mega weapons that they're going to use to attack headquarters. No pressure or anything, but we have to get rid of them or we'll all be doomed. So let's go!"

The Chicago hideout was a good size; there were several rooms and doors that America itched to open but he was able to tame his curiosity before it killed him, even though he wasn't a cat (curiosity killed the cat, according to America's not-so-common sense).

Whenever they passed a room with a doppelganger in it, they'd glance inside, look who was there, and then turn their head away whenever a doppelganger or two noticed them passing along. They hoped that the doppelgangers would assume they were Dark America, Dark England, and Dark France.

Once or twice, a door would open and America would react instantly; he'd yank open the first door he saw and pull England and France in. Of course, France scolded America for being rash because what if the door led to more doppelgangers?

"We sweet talk out way out." America joked. "And if that doesn't work, we hug them and run while they cringe at the kindness. Awesome plan, right?"

"You'll get us killed." England sneered. "No, on second thought, they won't kill us. You'll doom us all."

America flashed him a bright smile and gave England a thumbs up. "No I won't, because I'm a hero."

France raised an eyebrow. "'A'? What ever happened to 'the'?"

The three turned a corner and America shrugged. "There's more than one." And then he smiled privately to himself.

"I think he must be sick." France murmured to England.

"That's what I've been thinking ever since his bloody revolution."

"You know I'm right here, right?" America asked in annoyance.

"Oh we know quite well, mon ami." France said casually.

America stared at them. "Gee, thanks you guys."

* * *

><p>Time passed and they still couldn't find a hall that led to some huge cavern-like room that held weapons of mass destruction. France suggested that they probably passed it; England argued that the entrance was probably hidden.<p>

"Haha!" America grinned as the two bickered. "Wouldn't it suck if there aren't any weapons here, bros?"

England and France froze and then they stared at him. America blinked in confusion before he laughed nervously, "Um...but that's not true, is it?"

"Well...Korea said that the invasion of Germany is false information..." France murmured under his breath, realization striking his face.

"And Germany sent us here to destroy the weapons that were supposed to be used for said invasion." England grumbled. He gritted his teeth in irritation and muttered how he could have not seen it coming.

"So then...did we just waste time around here?" America asked slowly.

Silence.

"_Damn those bloody doppelgangers_." England scoffed under his breath as he led America and France through the corridors. They were all fast-walking by now, anxious to catch up to the others if they weren't already captured. Every second they spent in the hideout, the more nervous they became; they had a bad feeling that they weren't going to escape unnoticed.

"Do you even know where we're going?" France asked in a hushed voice, quickening his pace so he could walk alongside England.

"Not at all."

France slowed a little and gave the back of England's head a confounded look. "Then why should we trust _you_ with directions?"

"Oi, you better be grateful. At least I'm not Austria." England snapped, throwing a brief look over his shoulder.

Unlike Austria, who was somewhat directionally challenged, England turned out to be good at knowing where to go. That or they were all lucky they didn't walk into a room of doppelgangers like Mr. Puffin did. Technically, he flew into a room of doppelgangers but that wasn't the point. The point was that the three were met with a blast of fresh air and a gorgeous sunset.

"You know, I think this is the most entertaining hideout yet." America mused, stepping out from the small tunnel. England had seen a change of atmosphere a while before and led them towards a hall that had gotten narrower and narrower, the ceiling lower and lower. England chose correctly because the tunnel-like hall led them out and onto a rocky shore.

"How is it entertaining?" England asked.

"Dude, it's _underwater_. This is my favorite one."

"How can you favorite a place where they locked you up?" France asked in disbelief.

"Stop talking and look." England said, pointing towards the lake. "There's the boat."

America and France joined England out on a huge boulder a few yards away and shaded their eyes from the setting orange sun. The sun cast its colors onto the ripples of the lake and shimmered in a nice, glowing manner. The boat they had came in was docked at the shore (in reality, they figured Italy just drove the boat all the way onto the sand. France started to complain about how they were going to have to push the boat back into the water).

"It seems like they got back safely." England said as the three made their way to the boat. Sand got into their shoes but they didn't care; they were determined to get out of Chicago and return to Germany, where there were no doppelgangers to worry about.

"Oi!" England called up as they reached the bottom of the boat. "We're down here!"

"England, stop yelling and start pushing." America hollered, kicking at the boat. A loud metallic clang rang into the air and England and France gave America a look "Be quiet!" they both chided him.

"We need to get this in the water though." America retorted.

England stifled his laughter. "No need to. Some of my energy and magic has returned. I'll take care of it. Come on, let's go."

"How are we supposed to get up there?" France asked.

"There should be a rope ladder, right?" America asked. He pointed up at a figure leaning across the railing of the boat and waved his arms back and forth energetically. "Hey! You! Toss down the ladder!"

The figure waved back. "You guys are back!" Italy called with relief. He disappeared for a while and then he threw the ladder overboard.

France caught the ladder and stepped aside. "You two first."

"No, as a gentleman, I insist you two go first." England said, shaking his head.

America sighed. He didn't see how France and England were enemies (or at least rivals) and yet they were being so polite all of a sudden. What happened to the fighting?

Well, actually, America didn't miss it. In fact, he was ready to go eat something and he knew there was a huge tub of ice cream in the freezer inside the boat.

Motivated by the sweet delight, America fixed his foot on the rung and started up the ladder. It was only a twenty to thirty feet climb, not a problem.

"Hold it for me you guys." he called down, suddenly somewhat aware of how wobbly the ladder was in the wind. "I don't want to fall."

The ladder suddenly became sturdier and it didn't sway with the persistent wind. America breathed a small sigh of relief and finished his ascent. Italy greeted him at the top and pulled America into a tight hug. "You're safe, you're safe, ve!"

"Yup. And we didn't didn't run into any doppelgangers on the way." America grinned, patting Italy's head, careful not to accidentally brush his hand by the hair curl. Germany had told him not to touch it once, and when America had asked why, Germany tensed and said that a ghost would haunt those who did.

America didn't want a ghost to haunt him and so he lowered his hand and watched the frightening hair curl, mesmerized. Italy released him and waited for the next person to arrive and America went straight to the kitchen, passing several countries who were waiting on deck.

France was the second to climb on. He nearly lost his balance when Italy tackled him with a hug. "Italy, you should be more careful." France chuckled, patting his head.

"I'll try, Big Brother France." Italy grinned.

A few feet away, Norway glanced at Iceland and said, "See? Italy calls France 'big brother'."

Iceland refused to meet his brother in the eye. "I'm not Italy."

"It's not so bad." Norway said, folding his arms. "Try it. Try saying 'big brother'."

"No."

Ukraine overheard their conversation and asked curiously, "Why don't you call him your older brother? I think having an older brother or sister is a warm feeling that makes you very happy. Older siblings care for their little siblings."

Iceland, a little startled by Ukraine's statement, said, "It's belittling for me. I'm not a child."

"Niether is Russia." Ukraine smiled gently. "But he still sometimes call me 'big sister'. It's a normal thing."

"Ve, Ukraine is right."

Iceland, Norway, and Ukraine looked at Italy, who joined them. "Even if you're not a child, calling an older sibling like that is nice." Italy said with a huge grin on his face.

"You too?" Iceland murmured as Mr. Puffin started to peck at his ear.

"Aw just give in and call him that for once." Mr. Puffin scolded. "Just do it so they'll leave you alone."

Italy glanced behind him as England set foot on the boat and flounced off to give him a hug as well. "England!" Italy smiled at England's bewildered expression. "You're safe!"

"Er, yeah, I am." England tried to push Italy away but Italy was glued to him for a few seconds longer before he let go of him. He then returned to Iceland, Norway, and Ukraine, and Iceland and Norway were now arguing with each other. England couldn't help but smile. It had only been an hour or two and already the countries were starting to regain their personalities back.

"Well, now we can set sail for Germany's." England said to France, wiping his hands together.

"Are you sure you have enough magic?" France asked skeptically.

"I feel okay right now. I'm only sore in some spots. It'll be fine."

The nations around them quieted their conversations and watched England as he glowed with a mysterious green light. They all gasped when the boat slowly lifted out of the water.

"A-are you sure this is the safest way to get the boat into the water?" France demanded, crouching down to keep his balance.

"Shut up, you're ruining my concentration." England snapped.

The boat suddenly swayed to the left and the countries on deck let out a small surprised sound as they slid on the ground a few feet. Then the boat swayed the other way and they grabbed a hold of each other out of fear.

"Keep it steady, aru!" China yelled as Korea clung onto China like crazy.

"Aniki, we're going to die, da-ze!" Korea cried out.

"And you're saying that I don't have faith in _you _guys?" England muttered to Korea.

"I was only joking, da-ze!" Korea said. "Aniki, stop sliding around!"

"It's not my fault, aru!"

"See, even Korea calls China 'older brother'." Norway muttered, sliding to the left.

"You're still going on about that?" Iceland sighed wearily as he slid after him. Mr. Puffin left Iceland's shoulder and flew into the air, circling around the boat as the others slipped and fell on the surface of the boat.

The boat creaked as it stopped rocking and the nations sighed in relief, only to cry out again as the boat began to back up.

"Wait, wait!" France cried out, tripping over his own feet as he tried to make his way to England. "At least let everyone have a chance to go inside!"

"It's worse inside!" America yelled from the door, clinging to the door frame. "Books from the bookshelf nearly killed me and Romania almost got stabbed by a kitchen knife that fell from the whatchamacallit."

"Aiya, with this much noise, the doppelgangers will hear us for sure!" China groaned.

"Well then stop complaining." England ordered, struggling with his magic. Beads of sweat started to roll down his face. His heart skipped a beat as his magic temporarily stopped for a second, allowing the boat to free fall.

The boat jerked down and the countries found themselves in the air, a split second before they'd crash to the ground. Alarmed screams carried through the air as the fact that they were in the air registered in the minds.

Then England's magic returned and saved the boat from crashing into the water and it saved the countries from a terrifying free fall; the magic caught the boat in time so the nations only fell three feet.

"England's going to, like, totally kill us." Poland moaned as Lithuania grabbed onto his collar before Poland could slide off the boat.

"At least try to hang on to something." Lithuania said worriedly. "And don't get too close to the edge, please..."

At last, the boat was lowered and England released his magic, no longer glowing. Panting, he sat down and laid back so that he was lying on his back, staring at the darkening velvet sky. "That was one of the hardest things I had ever done with magic..." he murmured to himself, wiping sweat from his forehead. "But I did it."

"You could have killed us all!" France exclaimed as he picked himself off the ground along with many others. "We could have fell off the boat and fall all the way down and into the shallow water!"

"We're still alive, da-ze?" Korea murmured. "Oh phew, I'm glad, da-ze."

As England laid there, resting, Thailand mentioned how someone should start the boat and set sail for Germany's. America said he would, but he still had to get his ice cream.

"I'll get your ice cream for you, America, ana." Thailand said. "Right now we have to get out of here, ana."

America grinned at Thailand. "Gotcha! And if you don't know which flavor to get, just give me all of it!" Thailand and America disappeared inside the boat and several countries who were starting to get sea sick followed them inside, somewhat pale.

Greece peered over the rails and squinted his eyes downwards. "You forgot to pull in the ladder." he noted.

England sighed. "France...can you do that for me?"

No answer.

"France just went back inside." Greece said. As England groaned, Greece added, "I'll do it."

"Thank you, Greece." England said wearily. He closed his eyes and breathed in the air. The boat started to move forward and he knew that America was now driving (he hoped that America could drive right). The sound of the water around them was relaxing and he took a few seconds to pretend he was on vacation on a cruise ship and not in the middle of escaping.

No, in fact, he was sure they had successfully escaped. Although he had this nagging feeling that things weren't that easy, he couldn't help but feel a little careless and assume they were safe. Besides, if anything happened, there were too many of them there anyway; they be able to overwhelm any danger.

"The ladder is heavier than I thought." Greece murmured.

England opened one eyes. Then he turned his head to watch Greece struggle with the ladder. "Here, let me help." England got to his feet and Greece stepped to the right so that England could grab the left side of the rope ladder.

The pulling process started and even with England's help, the ladder was heavier than usual. "How did Italy throw this thing overboard without trouble?" England muttered.

Greece stopped and peered over the rails again. He did a double take and his jaw dropped.

"What's the matter?" England asked quickly, but he was 99% sure of what was going on. "They're here, aren't they?" he murmured quietly.

"Just a few of them." Greece said as he and England released the ladder at once. "Maybe we can just cut the ladder and prevent them from climbing-"

The boat jerked to the side and they stumbled to the left, falling to the ground. "What was that?" England asked, glancing at the nations that stayed on deck. They too had fallen and were just as confused as England and Greece.

The door that led inside flung open and Spain emerged, his happy, calm expression gone while a distressed expression took its stead. "The boat's sinking!"


	44. Freedom

At first, no one was sure if Spain was just saying that out of sudden panic or if he was right. When the boat started tipping in a certain direction (and England was sure that he wasn't doing that with his own magic), people started to believe him.

England glanced down at the rope with Greece and used a little bit of magic to cut the ropes, sending Dark Switzerland, Dark Romano, and Dark Hungary falling down into the water with three loud splashes.

"At the rate the boat's tipping over," Korea said in alarm. "We're going into the water in a couple of minutes, da-ze!"

The boat shrieked and creaked; the nations that had went inside flocked out onto the deck, America (the one responsible for driving the boat) included. "Giving up already?" England asked him, astounded. "You're not going to try and repair the boat?"

America gave him a dumbfounded look. "You think I'm gonna fix this thing? The thing's flooded on the inside."

"But, surely you can do _something_." England said, raising his voice. He was starting to panic now; one look over the rails and into the water, he felt a little queasy.

"Well, unless if I can convince you to use whatever magic you have left and fix the boat, there's nothing I can do." America retorted.

England's shoulder slumped. He wasted a lot of whatever magic he had regained earlier lifting the boat up and back into the water; maybe they should have all gotten out and push the boat after all...

"They're here." Romania yelled into the air for everyone to hear. The doppelgangers probably found another way up because they started coming from the other side of the boat. They started to surround the countries, and there was no way out other than fighting.

And if they did happen to win, how would they get back to Germany's? They could always take the long way, going up into...that one country above America...England had the name somewhere...

_Other than that, we could go through that country, cross back into Alaska and then how would we get to Russia? The water would be too cold to swim across...maybe by then I can levitate everyone across? Ah, but that can be dangerous..._ England thought.

"Stop daydreaming!" France exclaimed at England. "We could really use your help you know!"

England glanced around and saw that the fight had already begun. That wasn't good, especially when he was so worn out. Could he still put up a fight?

He winced and grabbed his shoulder. The pain still annoyed him and it hindered him a little bit, but that wasn't his main concern. He found himself short-breathed and realized he was a little light-headed. Not knowing what to do, he spun around and looked for a place where he could recover for a minute or two.

Meanwhile, China, Korea, and Thailand stood back to back, poised in a manner where they could easily dodge if they were attacked. China had told the Philippines to take Taiwan to a safer place and the three hoped that the two would be safe, wherever they might be.

"You know, da-ze..." Korea said as he kicked Dark India away. "I feel like this should be a movie or something. Or a story, da-ze. It would be better as a movie but even better as a drama, da-ze."

"Why are you thinking about making a drama of this in the middle of a fight, aru?" China grunted, clashing with Dark Sweden. Dark Sweden had a longsword in his hands but it was turned sideways, the edge facing the sky so that both Dark Sweden and China were pushing at the flat side of the blade towards each other with Dark Sweden winning.

Dark Cuba appeared out of nowhere from behind Dark Sweden and made a movement towards China, who was left defenseless since his hands were occupied by Dark Sweden.

Thailand jabbed a fist at Dark Cuba and then a kick, attracting Dark Cuba from China to him.

"Thank you, aru!" China called over his shoulder as he finally released Dark Sweden's sword and ducked to the side so that the doppelganger would fall forward. Dark Sweden was agile enough to prevent from falling and further and, gripping the hilt of his sword, swung the bloodthirsty blade towards China.

China narrowly evaded the sword but it still sent his heart jumping. He swore, if he had the mind of a 4000 year old man or so, he'd have a heart attack and die there.

On the other side of the boat, the Netherlands and Belgium worked side by side, similar to China, Korea, and Thailand. The Netherlands ended up beating the most doppelgangers that tried to attack his sister, even though Belgium stated she was perfectly capable of handling them herself.

Once, when the Netherlands was forced to the ground by Dark Switzerland's foot, Belgium came to his rescue and successfully kept Dark Switzerland at bay.

Everyone else was right about Belgium; she could be pretty scary when provoked. "This is for pinning down my brother!" she scowled, and she kicked the doppelganger so hard that Dark Switzerland crashed through the wall of the boat and into the water seeping into the inside of the boat.

Belgium then turned and gave the Netherlands a sly smile. "Are you okay?"

The Netherlands didn't say anything. He merely brushed imaginary dirt from himself and regarded her indifferently.

"Awww, I love you too, even though you can be such a miser." Belgium grinned, laughing.

"You know, we're all going to end up in the water soon!" America yelled as he leapt back and away from Dark Hungary. "What do we do, swim back to shore?"

"You idiot, do you think we have the time to do that?" England yelled, doubled up. "And...some people can't do that, you know..."

"Mon ami, just follow little Italy's instructions and you'll be fine." France panted, readying himself to pounce at Dark Hong Kong.

"Speaking of Italy, where is he?" Lithuania asked as he ducked around Dark Romano.

"Knowing him, he might be with Taiwan and the others who are in safety, aru." China called out.

"What part of the bloody boat is _safe_?" England demanded to know.

"Aiya, I don't know, aru. Ask the Philippines, she's the one who's in charge of their safety, aru!"

By then roughly 70% of the boat was underwater and the countries and doppelgangers alike were crammed at the very top, but no one was trying to start another fight.

"Why are you not fighting? What kind of villains are you guys?" America asked. "None of the villains in my movies or tv shows do that! They hate their enemies! Just seeing them ticks them off!"

"We're not movie villains or tv villains." Dark China snapped. "We have the wisdom to know when to do something and when not to. How would fighting in a limited place like this going to benefit us all, aru?"

"You know, I think that's what makes them so different than us." France murmured. "We do whatever we want, and they actually think their plan through."

"That's why we're losing?" America asked incredulously. "This is the most thinking I have done in like, years! How can we be losing?"

"Who said we are, da-ze?" Korea demanded, shifting away from the doppelgangers who moved up higher and closer to them to avoid the water.

"Well if you guys are so smart," England spat to the doppelgangers. "Why don't you try to find a way to avoid drowning? We're in deep water now and the shore is miles away. And how the bloody hell did you get here from so far away?"

"Dost thou not remember my magic?"

Everyone, doppelgangers included, glanced up at Dark England who stood on top of the roof of the boat, right above the door that led inside. Dark England gave them a disapproving look. "God gi' god-den. High expectance of you hatreds, an' here thou art, conversing like old men in the summer haze, ho!"

"It wasn't our doing." Dark Cuba said coldly. "That American bastard must have driven the boat and hit boulders along the bottom and made a hole in the boat."

"So it was _you_." England hissed to America.

America scoffed, "Me? How can I do that? I think it was you when you were lifting the boat out of the sand. You dropped us, I mean, who does that to their own friends?"

"What friends?" France asked slyly.

"You _git_-"

"Please, don't fight!" Finland exclaimed. "This isn't the time to fight...oh no, the water is rising..."

"England's hatred, can't you do something about this?" Dark China demanded. "I can't stand to do nothing while they're here."

Dark England glanced at the part of the boat that was sinking. Now, 80% of the boat was under the water's surface and the top was getting crowded with doppelgangers and countries, neither of the two parties looking relatively happy.

"Nay. Weary I am to fix thy mistakes. Hatreds, come anon. What is water? What, art thou afraid like a cat? Seize hold of them and bring them down."

"And then what? Fighting in the water is futile." Dark Hungary growled.

Dark England watched them for a while and then he sighed. "I see. Then I will be thy savior and return thee to Chicago."

England narrowed his eyes. "Over my dead body." he snapped. He wasn't going to let them all go back to the hideout and be locked up again after all the effort they had put into. But his magic level was still rather low and compared to his doppelganger's magical capacity, he'd be outpowered in an instant.

"I apologize, but if thou art dead, then I will be too." Dark England sneered, and he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke that dissipated into the air.

Then, all of a sudden, all the doppelgangers too disappeared in a similar fashion, and the countries were alone.

For a second, the first thought that popped up in their minds was that they were safe for the time being. The second thought was that they were stunned that the doppelgangers abandoned them to sink on the boat that was being eaten up by the lake. Their third thought was how they were supposed to be saved (England was particularly concerned about this.)

Before England could start panicking, Dark England reappeared right beside him.

"What did you do?" America asked, bewildered.

"What else could he have done?" England asked America wearily. "He returned the doppelgangers back to Chicago. But why, I wonder?"

"There is need for one hatred to bring thee back; there was many too many."

Even though they knew that Dark England was a force to reckon with on the battlefield, they couldn't help but wonder if he was a little arrogant and that he might be one of those rare doppelgangers that had slight overconfidence. Even so, it didn't look like they'd be able to even swing a fist because they had seen how quickly he could transport people in a blink of an eye, and that alone spelled defeat for them.

Their depressing thoughts were interrupted by a loud 'whoosh' sound that flew past them like a jet. The water next to them exploded into thousands and thousands of droplets, showering them with beads of lake water.

"**AHAHAHAHAHA****!**" a loud voice laughed. "Sealand and the micronations to the rescue!"

Another rocket flew over their heads and slammed into the water next to them. Dark England looked genuinely stunned at the micronations' appearances. It was as if he didn't expect to see them at all.

As another rocket missed them completely, England yelled, "Oi! Don't shoot! You could hit us!"

"With that aim, I highly doubt it, da-ze." Korea mused.

Sealand was standing at the very front of his 'land' as it sped through the waters. They could make out figures behind them, and it wasn't hard to guess that they were the other micronations. Sealand waved at them and yelled back, "Don't worry! I'll save you guys!" And he lowered his voice to speak to his fellow micronations. "After this, they'll _have_ to accept us as fully fledged countries."

Ladonia harrumphed, arms folded. "Whatever. Just hurry up and save them already."

Sealand saluted Ladonia and said enthusiastically, "Alrighty then."

While Dark England was still somewhat stunned by the micronations' appearances, America and Sweden grabbed a hold of him so he couldn't teleport them back. "Unhand me!" Dark England yelled. "Unhand me, gentlemen!"

"Now why would we do that?" America grinned at him.

Sealand pulled up close enough to the sinking boat (which was nearly gone now; the countries had started to climb on top of each other and there were some who were already knee or waist-deep in water) and the countries started to climb on. Sealand greeted them all and made sure they looked him in the eye in hopes that they'd remember him.

"Yes, now they'll have to recognize us as full-fledged countries." Sealand said excitedly to Ladonia, who was standing beside him with a haughty expression.

"Hmph." Ladonia watched as the stream of nations boarded.

"What are we going to do with this guy?" America asked after the others were safely on Sealand. He and Sweden remained back, standing on what little space there was left on the boat.

"Can't you knock him out?" Wy asked, crossing her arms.

"Doppelgangers heal." America said pointedly.

Wy, Sealand, and Ladonia blinked blankly.

"Oh right, um...doppelgangers are these things. They look like us, but they're pure evil." America explained. "There were a whole bunch of them here a while ago but there's only one now."

Sealand nodded. "Ohhhhh, so that's why..."

England raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Why what? What happened?"

"Well, I was wondering where everyone was when I left to visit you." Sealand said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "There were some people hiding at the time and I asked why. They told me that you were evil and turned some people into monsters and stuff. And then they said all the other countries had done the same."

"And then he came to us and we ganged up." Seborga said cheerfully, walking over to the two. "We were trying to find out what was going on and after weeks of that, we saw a boat and followed it. I think we found it." He shot a sideways glance at the boat; only the bow of the boat was visible now.

"Dudes, we still have this guy here." America called up anxiously. "And um, water is still surrounding me and Sweden."

"I say you leave him there and climb on." France said, flipping his hair behind his shoulder. "He's given us too much trouble."

There was no time for arguing; America nodded at Sweden and the two released Dark England. America gave him a small push to the last four cubic feet of the bow of the boat left and he and Sweden made a run for it. Sealand and Seborga reached out their hands for the two countries to grab onto and they hoisted them up.

"Haha, take that!" America yelled at Dark England, who regained his balance and was standing there, glaring. America turned to look at Sealand. "Hey, how fast does this thing go?"

"Very!"

"Good." America grinned at him. "Let's get out of here before he magics himself over here."

"Too late, ana!" Thailand called. He pointed to the bow of the boat and everyone saw that Dark England had vanished. "He's not there, ana!"

A puff of black clouds apeared on Sealand and the countries backed away from it as the micronations stared at it in shock. "The fuck is this?" Molossia demanded. "This wasn't in the fucking contract, Sealand! No one said anything about this!"

Dark England sneered at them when he reappeared. "Forget it. I can take the micronations too." he scowled, leaving behind his archaic English again.

"Oi."

Dark England's eyes flickered to the left, where England stepped up. "What? You want to fight again? Aren't you too weak to? You can't beat me in your state." Dark England sneered rudely.

England kept walking, his eyes glued on his doppelganger. Other countries started to step up as if offering assistance but England said, "No, this is mine."

"Ana...be careful England..." Thailand murmured.

"If we're captured again, I blame England." France sighed heavily.

"England is reliable, aru." China said worriedly, although it was as if he was trying to convince himself and not the others. "England can do it...right, aru?"

England stopped right in front of his doppelganger and they glared at each other, red eyes piercing the green while the green pierced the red. It was like this for a moment, and the other countries held their breath, wondering what was going to happen.

There were several possibilities that could play out right there; anything could happen.

Whatever future might happen, England was in control of it now, and whether their encounter was a victory or a defeat all relied on his choices, his actions, and his words.

England had to pick a path and hope it led to their victory.

"Throughout time, we've made a lot of enemies, haven't we?" England asked, his voice firm and unwavering.

Dark England was silent.

"It's true. And I don't want to admit it, but I do end up regretting some decisions I made in the past." England continued on. What was going on in his mind, he wasn't sure. He just had to get rid of this nagging feeling of guilt and he remembered Canada's speech (he finally remembered his name again).

"I accept my mistakes, however." England coughed. "I know some choices were wrong and some didn't end out right. But even with the enemies I made, and even with all of those people that hate me back then, and even right now, I also came to make friends. Friends I can trust. Friends I can work with and fight alongside with..."

Dark England refused to say anything. He only listened, and watched as his original continued on and on.

"Even now, as I speak, I know I will not get rid of you. Hatred is a human emotion and it will always be with us. But from what I heard from Italy, he has tamed his hatred. He can keep it subtle and control it. I envy Italy because of that." England paused for a while, picking his words carefully. "That is a skill I can only dream to possess. It's not in my character to forgive quite so easily. And that is why I don't think I can truly get rid of your will to stay in your physical form."

"And what do you plan to do in your condition?" Dark England asked quietly, dangerously.

"I can only do what I am capable of doing."

Dark England narrowed his eyes. "I see." His words were dipped with poison and to the other countries, it sent shudders up their spines. How was England going to win this one?

But England didn't look worried. In fact, his eyes glowed with triumph as if he had already won and a small amused smirk tugged at his lips. "Yes...quite. Even though you're pretty much me, I can't help but lecture you. _Don't mess with the British Empire_."

Before Dark England could do anything, England took a step back and kicked his doppelganger in the chest. "_BRITANNIA KICK_!"

Dark England's red eyes widened in shock and his body was flung back several feet and he started to fall into the water.

England went to the edge of Sealand and peered down as his doppelganger made a loud splash. The others crowded around him hurriedly to watch the doppelganger scream out, "You bloody..." His words were slightly cut off by the water. He spat the water out, desperately trying to keep afloat. "I can't bloody _swim_!"

"That's the point!" England called down, waving. Then he nodded to Sealand and added, "Come on. Let's go back to Germany's."


	45. Hugs are Scary and the BBG Grows

Germany had noticed that his house had gotten rather quiet. All the nations that were there were unusually silent and broody. Maybe it was because he had still made them all clean up his house at the crack of dawn. Perhaps that was the reason?

"How is this?" Denmark asked Germany, sitting back wearily after he scrubbed a trail of blood from the carpet near the stairway.

Germany loomed over the Dane and was pleased he couldn't see anymore red. But then he frowned, knelt down, and brought his eye closer to it. Shaking his head, he stood back up. "No, there's still a little bit left. Continue."

Denmark groaned but did as he was commanded.

He wasn't the only one who was tired of cleaning. Turkey had approached Germany so many times about his job, which was to clean the blood from the ruined paintings. "It's not like it's any use anymore you know." he complained. "I thought you wanted to throw them away since you can't even fix them."

"Yes, but having dirty trash is completely unacceptable." Germany said sternly. "What will people think if I threw out bloody garbage?"

Turkey only stared after him as Germany continued his round through the hall, checking up on everyone and making sure they didn't slack off.

"And what are _you_ doing?" asked Switzerland roughly as Germany towered over him, watching him scrub the walls with an intense look.

"Managing."

New Zealand, who was helping Switzerland, glanced at Germany and was somehow reminded of America and his 'managing' back at Estonia's house. Germany caught him staring at him and sent him a questioning look, at which New Zealand shook his head hastily and returned to getting rid of a stubborn stain.

The doppelgangers that they had disabled were tied up tightly (Germany was good at tying people up, according to Austria who had lived with Germany for a while). The last they all have heard of the doppelgangers, they were in the basement and Germany left the swords in their throats and pinned them to the wall, just in case.

"Germany, how are we going to cover these bullet holes?" Hungary asked him wearily, pointing to the holes in the wall.

Germany gave the holes a thoughtful gaze and said nonchalantly, "Buy new paintings and hang them over it?"

Hungary and Germany swept the wall with their eyes and noticed that they'd have to buy quite a bit of paintings and they'd have to hang them in odd places. Germany didn't think he could see a painting hanging down by everyone's feet. In fact, it probably wouldn't even be hanging at all.

It was about eight in the morning when Germany's clean-up crew started to doze off. Germany gritted his teeth in irritation. Sure they were up since three in the morning and sure it was five hours later, but surely they can't be that tired already, right?

Wrong.

However, the solution was simple; food.

Germany left the hallway for a moment, found some of his loyal servants that stayed in the house despite the danger cooking in the kitchen, and ordered them to make the most appealing dishes as possible.

And sure enough, after Germany opened the kitchen door to let the smell of cooking food waft to the second floor, the nations started to come into the kitchen in a dream-like trance, like mosquitos being attracted to light.

"After you eat and drink, return to cleaning." Germany said loudly as the last person slipped into the kitchen.

No one complained; the food was like a valuable treasure to them. It was fuel to their energy and it actually smelled pretty good.

"Germany..."

Germany glanced to the side at Japan. "What is it?"

"What are we going to do with the doppelgangers? Do we leave them there?"

Germany shook his head, chewing on his wurst thoughtfully. "No. I have plans for them. I have to double check something and I'll be needing help. We're interrogating them."

"Ooh, West, you have to let me do that with you! The cleaning's almost done anyway so screw that." Prussia exclaimed, standing up with his fist pounding the table.

Germany shook his head and Prussia sat back in his seat, mumbling how he never gets to have any fun anymore. "I'll handle it alone first. If needed, I'll ask for certain people." Germany said.

Germany left the kitchen way before the others; he wasn't particularly hungry and there was nothing else to do. The doppelgangers were still in their place in the basement, much to Germany's relief. Although their blood still kept spilling from their throats, it didn't mind Germany because the basement was the only place where he didn't bother to clean.

It had bothered him at first but after hundreds of years of trying to keep it clean, he gave up and allowed the room to be the only one to stay filthy (of course, there were annual basement cleanings so it wasn't as dirty as the other countries' basements).

The doppelgangers flinched every other second in reaction to the pain they couldn't feel. Their eyes were glowering at Germany and he could feel the killing intent in them, despite the fact they weren't supposed to kill the originals. _But that doesn't mean they can't torture us either._ Germany thought bitterly. He was able to withstand torture, but some of the other countries probably weren't able to. No matter what, he must protect them and do what he can.

The first doppelganger he wanted to interrogate was Dark Japan. Even though Dark Japan was tied up (twice actually; all the doppelgangers had two ropes binding their limbs), Germany couldn't help but feel suspicious. He grabbed the hilt of the kampilan and pulled it from the wall with a few sudden jerks.

Dark Japan's head moved with the blade and he made a scratchy, gagging sound as the scarlet blade slid out from his neck. At once, the wound closed in and there wasn't a single trace of blood on him.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Which do you prefer?" Germany asked in a low voice.

Dark Japan fixed an icy glare at Germany. "Niether. You can hurt me physically but I will never feel the pain. Emotions can't feel pain."

That was a problem.

While Germany was thinking of a way to squeeze information from Dark Japan, a familiar voice brought his attention to the door of the basement.

"Ve, Germany! I'm back!"

"Italy?" Germany turned around to see Italy flounce towards him. Italy pounced on Germany and gave him a big hug, at which Germany tried to push him off but Italy's grip was like iron.

"Ve, it was very scary in Chicago but America, Big Brother France, and England protected me, ve." Italy said earnestly. Then Italy released Germany (to Germany's relief) and glanced at Dark Japan. "Japan!" he cried out happily and went to hug the doppelganger.

"Wait, no, that's not-!" Germany yelled out but he stopped himself and looked at the strange scene before him.

Italy still hadn't realized that he was hugging Dark Japan and not the real one; how he didn't question Dark Japan's red eyes (well, it was dim in the basements so Italy probably didn't notice it yet) was a mystery. He dind't even ask why he was tied up either.

But that wasn't the surprising part; the surprising part was that Dark Japan started to flail a little, hissing dangerously. "Let me go!" he snapped at Italy, who only tightened his embrace. "No, don't..._don't_!"

"Aww, Japan, why are you so grumpy, huh?" Italy asked with a smile. "Here, I'll give you another hug to make you feel bet-"

"_NO_!"

Italy was taken aback; he stared at Dark Japan for a while and then he jumped violently. "Ve, Germany!" Italy ran back to Germany and hid behind him, pointing to Dark Japan with a shaky finger. "That's not the real Japan, Germany!"

Sometimes, Germany felt like Italy always had to state the obvious.

Dark Japan was visibly shaken; Germany glanced from him and then Italy, who was just as shaken as Dark Japan. He raised a hand, hovering it over Italy's head. Italy glanced up, frightened. And then Germany lowered his hand and placed it on Italy's hand (avoiding his hair curl, of course) and patted his head gingerly. "Good work, Italy." Germany murmured.

* * *

><p>"Ve, Germany called for you, Liechtenstein." Italy said cheerfully to Liechtenstein, who was holding a bucket of water for Switzerland.<p>

"Did he?" Liechtenstein asked, looking back at Switzerland.

Switzerland nodded at her, allowing her to go. "I'll be fine. Go."

Liechtenstein carefully placed the bucket full of pinkish-water and followed Italy through the even more crowded hall. Ever since some of the missing countries and the micronations returned, Prussia, who had was in charge (it was self-proclaimed but he _was_ Germany's brother so they agreed reluctantly) had ordered them to start cleaning.

Although the ones who looked like they needed to rest, he sent them to go rest. ("Who knew he could be reasonable too?" asked Austria to Hungary, who rolled her eyes jokingly.)

Italy and Liechtenstein stopped Korea, who was helping Hong Kong carry in one of the new paintings Germany had ordered to cover up the bullet holes. "Germany called for you." Italy said, smiling.

"Did he, da-ze? Okay, after I help Hong Kong, okay, da-ze?"

Italy and Liechtenstien watched as Korea and Hong Kong carried the new painting and hung it up on the nail that Lithuania hammered in. Then Korea joined Italy and Liechtenstein, saying, "So where is he, da-ze?"

"I have to go get the others, ve." Italy said. "Just a couple of more people."

Italy managed to get Denmark, Thailand, and Russia with them and the six marched down to the basement, where Germany was waiting for them.

"So what's this about Germany?" asked Denmark curiously. He glanced down at Liechtenstein, who looked intimidated under the gaze of the doppelgangers. "How come she's here?"

"You'll find out soon." Germany coughed. He turned to Dark Japan and asked, "Now, would you like to do it the easy way or the hard way?"

"I won't say a word."

"Have it your way. Italy." Germany snapped at him and Italy flounced to Dark Japan and nearly crushed him in his hug.

Dark Japan cringed as Italy kept on saying, "Ve, ve, ve..." over and over. Not only did the sweet, kind tone annoy him, but it also added impact onto the embrace that Dark Japan found...torturous.

"Huh, so they _can_ be tortured, ana." Thailand said thoughtfully. "I never thought it would be like this though, ana."

"Italy, up." Germany ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Italy sprung up in a standing position and saluted Germany.

"Now, unless you want to be hugged again, tell me." Germany said slowly. "The invasion of my house...that's not true, is it?" Germany needed confirmation; he had always had a feeling that Korea brought back false information. Escaping the doppelgangers alone was not an easy feat. Perhaps they had Korea go so that he'd leak that information.

Dark Japan looked at Germany and then the others. The other doppelgangers avoided Dark Japan's eyes and Dark Japan scoffed at Germany. "I'm not sure."

"No, you're sure of it." Germany said calmly. "Italy-"

Dark Japan's eyes widened. "Wait."

Germany had never thought he'd seen the day where he called for Italy and have the enemy truly terrified. It was a miracle.

Dark Japan looked away, bowing his head. "We only told Korea that so he'd leak this information to you."

_I knew it._ Germany thought. "And it is false, isn't it?"

"Germany, back in Chicago, we found out that was wrong information, ve." Italy told Germany. "Korea was there. He learned the truth."

"True story, da-ze." Korea confirmed.

Nodding, Germany continued. "Do you have plans for anything else?"

"No."

Germany narrowed his eyes. "I see...Italy."

"Yes?"

"Hug him."

"Okay!"

Germany sighed to himself. He never thought he'd lead an interrogation quite this way. It wasn't something he expected but it worked. He glanced back at Liechtenstein and beckoned for her to come forward. She did so nervously and peered at the next doppelganger, which was Dark Vietnam.

Germany pulled at the sword that held her to the wall and her wound also closed up. She spat at him once she could speak again, "Go on. Do your worst."

"Like I asked just now, is there anything else you doppelgangers planned?"

"No. There is nothing else."

"You lie. Liechtenstein. Please hug her."

Liechtenstein hesitated for a while, but with a nod from Germany, she stepped forward and pretended that Dark Vietnam was the real one. Dark Vietnam's eyes twitched in annoyance when Liechtenstein hugged her and she tried to push Liechtenstein away.

"Care to tell us the truth?" Germany asked her.

"No."

Germany frowned. Liechtenstein was still too subtle. Maybe he'd have to excuse her from this and replace her with someone else. He glanced back at Korea, Thailand, Denmark, and Russia, who were watching. Thinking them through, he motioned for Liechtenstein to stop and step away.

"Denmark, you're up." Germany said him. "And make sure the hug is so tight that she almost can't breathe...if she could breathe anyway..." He wasn't sure if doppelgangers needed air, which they probably didn't seeing that they were 'emotions'. But then again, who had heard of emotions bleeding all over his carpet? No one.

Dark Vietnam gritted her teeth as Denmark approached her and tried to shake him loose at once; it was difficult to shake someone loose when you're tied up.

"Ready to talk?" Germany asked.

Dark Vietnam hissed and Germany motioned for Denmark to hug her even tighter.

"_Get away, stop it._" Dark Vietnam shrieked.

"Sorry, but Germany won't let me." Denmark grinned at her.

Dark Vietnam started to flail just like Japan and Germany asked her one more time. "Ready now?"

Dark Vietnam gave Germany a death glare but when Denmark started to poke her cheek, she snapped, "_Fine! I'll talk_."

Denmark let her go and she sighed, catching her breath.

"Vietnam's hatred, could you really break that easily?" Dark Japan hissed as Italy hugged him. But he seemed to get over Italy's embrace and Germany hurriedly replaced Italy with Denmark and hoped that Denmark could bring him to talk as well.

While Dark Japan grimaced at the Dane's warm hug (and he tried to bite Denmark's finger when Denmark poked at Japan's cheek), Dark Vietnam scowled, "We may not be invading you for now, but we've picked targets."

"How many?" Germany demanded, writing the information down on his notebook he pulled out from his pocket.

Dark Vietnam didn't speak. Germany glanced at Italy and Italy started forward. But before he could reach her, she snapped, "Roughly twenty-one so far."

The interrogation continued; all the doppelgangers now had someone attached to them, and Germany still found it odd to see his enemies so squeemish just by a hug. Denmark was hugging Dark Japan so tightly that Dark Japan had yelled out a few times. Dark Vietnam flailed her limbs and shook her head so violently that her ponytail came undone as soon as Italy pecked her cheek. (Again, Germany never thought he'd see the day where an enemy was terrified of Italy.)

Dark North Korea was a tricky one, and Germany had a feeling that he would be very hard to break down so he assigned Russia to him. It seemed to be slowly working; even though Russia still had some of his darker side (Germany wondered how strong Russia's doppelganger would be but decided not to find out), he was still able to get some information from Dark North Korea.

In fact, Dark North Korea had even snapped and yelled out when Russia started to stretch him out.

Dark South Korea was struggling with South Korea. Germany wondered what would happen if he put one original and his or her doppelganger together. Italy had mentioned that he had gotten rid of Dark Italy by accepting the fact that he has hatred and that he didn't want to hate anymore.

Or something along the lines. Korea was a cheery fellow; maybe he could get rid of his doppelganger as well.

Dark Estonia. Germany had a certain sense of distaste for him. He had caused them a lot of trouble with his who 'I am the real Estonia' trick. Thailand was taking care of him, and Thailand was doing a good job; Dark Estonia started to flail and kick, just like Dark Vietnam.

Liechtenstein still looked nervous with the doppelgangers but she eventually got over that and took over for Thailand whenever Thailand was called to go to Dark Japan and take over for Denmark because Germany found it irritating that Dark Japan kept on cringing in the middle of his confession due to Denmark's constant poking and prodding.

"Okay, that's all the information we needed. Leave them alone everyone." Germany called. The doppelgangers leaned their head against the wall, panting. They seemed too worn out to keep their malevolent image up; they looked like they had, well, gotten out of a torturing session.

* * *

><p>Collecting up his notes, Germany was concerned when he pieced everything together. At lunch, he stood up and made an announcement and soon, he wasn't the only one who was concerned.<p>

"From what we got, the doppelgangers have established ranks and divisions among each other." Germany said, drawing everyone's attention away from their lunch. "The leaders of the divisions are..." He looked down at his notebook and said, "Division One, led by my doppelganger and, apparently, the co-captain is Dark Prussia. Makes sense..." he added under his breath.

"Oh yeah, you hear that guys? Even my doppelganger is awesome!" Prussia declared.

"I thought you said that only you were 'awesome'." Austria murmured, dabbing his mouth gently.

"Yeah but that was before. Now that I know he's leader, he's awesome."

"Co-captain."

"Same difference." Prussia waved Austria's remark away.

"Division Two. The captain is Dark America-"

"Cool, my doppelganger is a captain." America exclaimed and Prussia gave him a high-five.

"That's not something to cheer about." Germany scolded them. "Co-captain, Dark Sweden."

"Sweden?" a few voices questioned. Everyone shot a sideways glance at him curiously. He rarely ever talked and the fact that his doppelganger was a co-captain made him more mysterious.

Sweden looked up from his lunch and swept the table with his indifferent eyes. "I've been in a lot of wars." he said and that was that.

"No kidding." Denmark sighed, ruffling his hair wearily. "Ah, but we're still on good terms now, right?"

Sweden glanced at Denmark and for a moment Denmark was afraid he was going to say no but to his relief, Sweden gave him a curt nod.

"Alright, your doppelganger is my sidekick!" America exclaimed, raisng a hand to give Sweden a high-five ("Again, why are you happy about this?" Germany growled.).

Sweden stared at the hand for a while and then he lifted his hand and returned the high-five.

According to Germany, Division Three was led by Dark Russia and his co-captain was Dark North Korea.

"What a frightening pair." Belgium said quietly. "Ah, no offense..." she added hastily to Russia.

Russia directed his smile to her. "No problem." Belgium wasn't sure if it was a real smile or not, but she assumed that a lot of people don't even know if he was really smiling or not either. She left it be and uneasily looked back at Germany as the rest of the information was being distributed.

Division Four was led by Dark Japan as captain and Dark Mongolia.

"I remember when Mongolia used to be so big and strong." Hungary murmured wearily. "He and Turkey kept on picking fights with me as a child..."

"My bad, but I just can't help but to fight, you know?" Turkey smirked.

Division Five was led by Dark China and Dark Vietnam was his co-captain.

Division Six was Dark France with Dark DRC, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Division Seven was Dark England and Dark Afghanistan.

"There are several other countries that are assigned to each division, and each division is targetting three places." Germany said.

England raised a hand.

Germany nodded at him to speak and England stood up. "From what we learned from Iceland's bird-"

"The name's Mr. Puffin, for your information." Mr. Puffin growled from Iceland's shoulder.

"Be quiet. You're annoying everyone." Iceland muttered to Mr. Puffin.

"Yes, well, Mr. Puffin found out that they're planning to wipe out the majority of the world, keeping some people alive so that we countries still exist, and start over." England said seriously. "They say they feel like we're doing a poor job of running the world and that they want to take over."

"Typical bad guy thing to do, isn't it?" America asked.

"In the end, it's all about power, aru." China sighed. Then he raised a hand and asked, "Do you know where they're starting to attack first then?"

"They're starting to wipe out the world by attacking twenty-one places." Germany said as England took his seat. "Since we've evacuate our people to the country-side or to another country that has land to offer, they may be safe for the time being, but that still won't stop the doppelgangers. They will attack the the top twenty-one most populated cities, even though they are abandoned. Or should be abandoned, if everyone did their job right."

The countries shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

It was a long lunch, and the majority of them never finished their food. They had lost their appetite. From what Germany knew, each division had their own hideout and the weapons were located _there_ and not in Chicago.

"How many hideouts do these things _have_?" America groaned. "Do we have to go to all of them?"

"I'm not done talking." Germany said sharply.

There was more. The attack on the world would start soon; they only had three days left.

"Aiya, and what have we been doing all of this time?" China exclaimed in disbelief. "How can you be talking so calmly here, aru? We need to go save the world and our people, aru!"

"Already three days, da-ze?" Korea had too exclaimed. "Time goes by too fast, da-ze."

"Germany, what do we do?" Italy cried out in alarm.

Germany slammed his fist down on the table to prevent the other nations to cry out in alarm. "Everybody, shut up!" he roared. "This isn't the time to lose your cool! Stay calm and focus on what we have to do! I know where their hideouts are, and we have a captain and two co-captains here with us. That will delay their plans for a little bit-"

"How the fuck do you know that?" Molossia asked, bewildered. Germany had temporarily forgotten the micronations were with them as well.

"He's right. We have no way of knowing whether or not they can continue on with their plan or not." Seychelles said nervously. "They're tricky and they can do the unexpected."

"They can, like, easily replace them. A lot of other countries had, like, a lot of hate and bloodshed too." Hong Kong murmured.

Germany silenced them again with his fist slamming into the table. "What did I just tell you all? _Shut up_!" He took a moment to recollect himself and he then said as calmly as he could without exploding, "This is what we're going to do and I don't care if you don't like it or not, but this is how we're going to do it. We'll hunt them down. We've been sneaking around them only to be chased. This time, we have to chase them down no matter what. No trying to escape. All or nothing. There's no backing out."

"There you go, West." Prussia cheered. "About time. All of this 'trying to be discreet' nonsense has been bugging me. They know we're here, we might as well use it to our awesome advantage, am I right or what?"

"But don't be reckless." Germany scolded Prussia. "That's not what I'm implying. Be cautious and be on alert, but when you need to fight, fight for your people. Fight for your pride. Fight for your honor and your friends and comrades. Fight for your family and fight for yourself, because we're all that's left."

Silence. The nations exchanged looks with each other. Then, a sly smirk broke out on nearly everyone's faces (the more stoic, serious ones did, however, share a small knowing smile).

"So...what's the plan, da-ze?" Korea grinned as the other countries cracked their knuckles.

* * *

><p>After the pep talk during lunch, America set off in hopes to make dealing with the doppelgangers easier. He gathered up Russia, Japan, Italy, and France and with their arms linked to each other, marched around Germany's house to try to recruit more members.<p>

Of course, before France could officially join, he had to make amends with the others. France was hesitant about Russia, like everyone else. America poked and prodded France from behind to urge him to be nice and friendly to Russia and that Russia would be the same.

France's tension went away after he became friendly with Russia and Russia returned his smile with what he hoped to be a real smile. He didn't even feel any dark, sinister aura from Russia. France assumed that was a good thing and he truly tried to get along with Russia, which wasn't too hard to his surprise since Russia was really giving his all to try to be friends.

"So why didn't you do this earlier?" France asked him.

"My bosses told me to use force to make friends." Russia explained. "So I tried but I don't think it works as well as this."

France laughed nervously. "Your bosses sound so scary, mon ami."

"Yo, England! You wanna join now?" America asked England after catching him in the hall.

England blinked in confusion for a moment and then he remembered that America was talking about the Best Buds Group. "Er, I'm not sure. Give me more time."

"Alright. Later." America tugged at Russia's arm (they were still linked together by the elbow) and led the Best Buds Group away from England, who stared after them. It was an odd looking group, but they seemed very happy and uplifting.

Should he...?

_Uh, let's not be so hasty. _England thought. All of a sudden, the word 'hare' popped up in his mind and he shook to clear it. He probably should avoid using the word 'hasty' or he'd never forget that memory.

America then ran into Switzerland and Liechtenstein and asked if they wanted to join.

"I'm neutral." Switzerland said at once.

"Yeah, but everyone's joining so you can still be neutral." America said earnestly.

"Um...America?"

America glanced down at Liechtenstein with a bright smile. "Yup?"

Liechtenstein fiddled with her thumbs for a while. "May I join?"

"Of course! Our goal is to get everyone to join!" America said, giving her a thumbs up. "The only thing you have to do is to forgive all our members if they had done something to you and be friendly with everyone and mean it."

"That's too much to ask for." Switzerland muttered but Liechtenstein nodded.

"I'm willing to be friends with everyone." she said bravely.

America gave her a high-five and said to Switzerland, "You still up to join?"

"I'll pass."

"You mean you'll pass this moment to join and take another moment to join later, right?"

"No."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'!" America grinned. He laughed as Switzerland gave him an annoyed look.

Japan had a feeling that with the way America was urging everyone into the group would bring a negative effect, and so Japan murmured to America, "Perhaps it would be best if I take over."

America nodded at Japan. "Sure. I'm thirsty from talking all the time anyway. I'll be back buds. I'm going to go find myself a soda. You think Germany has some coke in his fridge? Or maybe a hamburger...oh, but that's not a drink...well, now that I think about it, I want a burger too..."

America walked down the hall deep in thought towards the kitchen as Japan said to Switzerland, "America means well but sometimes he can be demanding. To help better relations with the countries in the world and to help simmer our doppelgangers, he wants everyone to become best friends with each other. So if you would please consider this offer, it would be much appreciated."

Switzerland glanced at Liechtenstein, who was shaking hands with Russia, and then at Italy and France who waved at him.

Sighing, Switzerland muttered, "If it's for the good of the world...I suppose."

Japan bowed a little. "Thank you. We are pleased to have you join."

And so Liechtenstein and Switzerland joined the BBG. When America came back from the kitchen a half hour later ("What took you so long?" France had asked him, to which America responded that he lost track of time.), they set off for more recruits.

So far, when America was raiding the kitchen, Japan had managed to get Lithuania and Poland to join. Russia was particularly happy when Lithuania joined and Lithuania was relieved to know that Russia's bittersweet personality was generally more sweeter.

Poland only joined because Lithuania did, but soon, he started to talk and chat with France, talking about clothing and fashion with such gusto that it sent the group laughing (except Switzerland, who was only sticking around because Liechtenstein wanted to help recruit countries).

"Would you like to join the Best Buds Group?" Japan asked Denmark and his brothers as they passed by.

"The Best Buds Group?" Denmark asked curiously. "What's that?"

"Our goal is to get everyone to be 'best buds' with everyone." Japan said. "Not only will it help better our relations with each other, but it will help simmer our doppelganger's strength."

Denmark glanced back at the rest of the Nordics and grinned. "What do you fellows say, wanna join?"

"I think that's a great idea." Finland exclaimed. "I'll join."

Denmark received nods from the other three and extended a hand to Japan to shake. "You got yourself a deal."

The Nordics then froze when they noticed Russia in the back. Japan hurriedly explained in a low voice that he was much more friendlier and to not worry. "He truly wants to make friends." Japan whispered. "I once shared your concern but America changed him somehow. Please trust America."

"Is that supposed to be a good thing?" Denmark joked. "Alright, I'll trust your judgement. I can't say the same for the others but I'm in."

But the other Nordics too agreed to try to get along and the group, once again, grew.

America smiled to himself as he watched the members greeted the new members warmly. He laughed to himself when he saw the relief flow through the Nordics as Russia smiled and waved at them.

"World peace, here we come." America mused.

* * *

><p><em>The division captains and co-captains are only based on my point of view as some of the countries with some of the most blood-shed andor history. I know there are several others but I merely followed a chart on Wikipedia (who happens to be my best friend for this story, other than the Google search engine). _

_The chart stated the death toll of a country or two in whatever war and I reasoned that because of the high numbers, the incident/war/battle ended up leaving quite a bit of...well, hatred. Honestly, I was a little nervous writing this because I'm afraid I might offend people (how would this chapter offend people, I'm not too sure but it's possible). _

_I usually don't write author notes (the small parts about history and that one part about archaic English don't really count as author's notes for me) but I feel like I need to here before the story gets into the next story arc/chapter/segment/etc._

_Whenever the story is finished (which won't be for at least another long while at the rate I'm going; have you noticed the chapters are getting slightly longer? It's because I'm trying not to put too many chapters in the story or it'll be intimidating), I will be going back to fix typos and errors I missed/felt too lazy to fix right now. I'll be adding in more history lessons so if you're interested you can go back (you don't have to but, you know, adds a sense of understanding and stuff)._

_I also think that I should illustrate some parts of the story for you guys to see. Since I can't post pictures in the story itself (which I think would be kinda cool but oh well) I'll probably post links at the end of the story so you can see the scenes that have been playing in my head. Again, you don't have to and you can keep the image you already have in your head but it's up to you._

_Longest chapter and author's note I have ever left. I feel like it will ruin the story, but I just thought I'd like to talk to you guys as one. So, thank you for reading and supporting me thus far. I really appreciate the reviews left for me (they make my day) and I hope to see you guys for the next chapter, in which a new arc begins. _

_And America might be right; one day, we may be able to gain world peace._


	46. Teamed Up

"What do you think you're doing?" America glanced up at Germany who stood at the doorway of the room.

"Oh, hi Germany. What's up?" America greeted him casually.

Germany didn't greet him back. His arms were crossed and a demanding look on his face told America that he better explain why he was pinning Turkey down on the floor by sitting on him.

"So it's a funny story, you know." America said lightly. "So I asked Turkey to join the Best Buds Group-"

"The what?"

"Long story. Anyway, he said that he would as long as some people aren't in it and I told him that everyone's going to be in it." America said. "But then he said that he would try to make amends with others if I win in a wrestling match." America shifted his weight forward and Turkey gritted his teeth in annoyance. "I think I totally won this one."

While Turkey yelled for America to stop crushing him, Germany shook his head in utmost disapproval. He'd have to start making rules like 'No challenging one another' or 'No sitting on each other'.

"America, get off the man." Germany barked.

"Got it." America got to his feet, brushed off his pants and held a hand out to Turkey.

Turkey looked suspicious and refused his hand, grumbling, "Why would I trust someone who attacked me out of nowhere?"

"Dude, you were the one who started it."

Another rule Germany had thought up: 'No arguing like little kids'. He rarely ever found himself looking after children (in fact, he believed he had never really done that before unless he counted Italy's childlike behavior) and he wasn't going to start now.

With one hand, he grabbed onto America's jacket and with the other hand, he grabbed onto Turkey's collar. He forced them away from each other and said, "You two have ten seconds before I start yelling. If you don't want me to yell, I suggest you drop the subject and go do something useful, like forming a plan for your team."

During lunch that day, Germany had assigned them teams ("If they're going to be organized, we will too." he had declared.). There were no team leaders yet although Germany was going to make the doppelganger's captains and co-captains correspond to theirs as much as possible. He had expected everyone to group together and plan after lunch but they went their separate ways, much to his slight annoyance.

America and Turkey opened their mouths and Germany expected them to argue back but they stopped when he went on 'Angry Mode' and they snapped their mouths shut, nodding.

Germany released them and they fled together, not even daring to turn their heads and watch Germany.

"You two look pale. What happened?" France asked as America and Turkey returned to the rest of the Best Buds Group who were lounging around in the living room.

"Germany's on the warpath." America said in a half-whimper.

"He must be getting really irritated." Turkey added in.

"Well this is our last chance to save the world and you two were fooling around." Switzerland scolded them. "Are you joining or not?"

"Now Switzerland," France said calmly, patting Switzerland's arm gently. "You can't go around talking in that tone if you're supposed to become good friends with everyone."

Switzerland huffed. "Do you really think everyone will join? I highly doubt that some countries will be willing to. Especially with this guy here." He glanced at America.

America laughed nervously. "Uh, yeah, well, I'm trying to get along with everyone but it's hard. Especially with that Cuba...every time he sees me, he gets into a rage and yeah. I don't know how we're able to actually stay under the same roof."

"I just talked to China about the group." Japan said, approaching them. "He said he'd be considering it as long as he's able to own the Spratly Islands. There are a lot of territorial disputes about who owns the islands. Relations about them are tense for him, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei."

"Brunei is missing right now." Switzerland said to himself. "But do you think China can sit down with the ones who are here and talk it out?"

"I doubt they're willing to." America said pointedly. "They've been at it for a while now."

"I also talked to Belgium and the Netherlands." Japan added, coughing. "Belgium wants to join but the Netherlands won't join if Spain will be joining, which he already has."

"He has?" America asked, surprised.

"Italy asked him to." France said. "You were too busy fighting with that guy." he nodded to Turkey.

"It wasn't a fight." America said. "It was a friendly wrestling match, right?"

"Whatever."

"So does that mean you have joined, Turkey?" Japan asked warmly.

Turkey shoved his hands into his pocket and sighed. "Uh...I'll join if the European Union lets me in." He gave France a look and France avoided his eyes.

"Why would you want to join them?" America asked, stunned. "Remember, they're in serious debt right now. And speaking of serious debt, some of them owe me money..."

"Oh yeah, the eurozone crisis. Yeah, forget it. I'm glad I didn't join then. Yeah, I'll join this group thing." Turkey said, shrugging.

"Great! Now let me introduce you to the members! Remember, all new initiatives have to make amends with everyone to be able to become a full member." America said, wagging a finger at Turkey.

Before Turkey could complain that he didn't want to talk to every single person, America latched onto his collar and dragged him to the nearest group of buds. "Onward!" America said excitedly, glad that there was another member.

Japan, France, and Switzerland watched after them before exchnaging concerned looks. "Do you think this alliance will work out?" Japan asked quietly. "There are a lot of people already, and even though they may say they forgive another, they might not truly feel it."

"That's the flaw with this." Switzerland clicked his tongue. "People lie and people hold grudges even if they say they don't. I don't know how America is going to pull this off."

"He's unpredictable, non?" France chuckled. "The group won't last long, but it's nice to think that everyone will be friends. It's a calming thought."

"A false thought." Switzerland muttered.

"True, but France is right. It's relieving, especially in this situation." Japan sighed, smiling. They were silent for a while, and then Japan excused himself to recruit more members and France mentioned he was going to go pour a glass of wine.

"If I can find some, that is." France huffed to Switzerland. "All that's here is beer, beer, and more beer."

* * *

><p>Dinner was held in the conference room. Everyone ate and conversed at the same time, pointing things out and suggesting new ideas. They were all grouped together with their individual team, all seven of them. Germany, along with the help of his brother Prussia, assigned each team to a unit. Just before dinner, Germany returned to the basement to question the doppelgangers even more, but their will had returned.<p>

"We've already told you so much." Dark South Korea scowled. "We're not saying anymore, no matter how much love is exposed to us."

Dark South Korea was right; Germany had called in Italy and the others to return to the basement and tried to get more information but they didn't say anything. Their faces were contorted in disgust and discomfort but they held their ground, much to Germany's displeasure.

Even though they didn't get any new information, Germany felt like they would have enough for now.

Halfway throughout dinner, the power went off again, and Germany had a feeling that the doppelgangers were up to something. Whatever it was, they couldn't do anything about it but keep planning.

Korea wasn't there though, and neither was China. Germany sent the two and see if they could find North Korea, Korea's brother. Korea was stunned by Germany's odd request and expressed extreme dislike to the idea of visiting his brother, despite them sharing a border. This was the first time Korea had been dead serious in a long time.

"China will back up up in case if something happens, but if you can get North Korea to join forces with us, we will have a good chance." Germany said. He too had doubt and he was somewhat concerned about the two, but there was no other option.

He wondered what North Korea would do or say.

"West, pay attention to the awesome plan." Prussia snapped.

Germany blinked and looked up at Prussia. "Sorry. I was thinking."

"You think too much, West. It's bad for your health." Prussia chided. "Now, listen here. You said that Dark Estonia revealed that the doppelganger's Division One, led by our awesome doppel-"

"They aren't 'awesome'." Austria interrupted haughtily. "They are always interfering with our attempts to restore order."

"We didn't even have order before them." Prussia laughed. "But whatever." The features of his face softened and he said seriously, "Their hideout is in Schwerin and that's where their division and weapons are. The targets that they're going to attack is apparently our surroundings. They'll be dropping nuclear bombs and crap in Italy, the west part of Russia, and Saudi Arabia. That's a big no-no."

Prussia went on to explaining to the team that they will be setting out the day after tomorrow. "Because today is planning, tomorrow is preparation, and then, on the day they attack, we come in and stop them." Prussia said sternly. "This is our job. This is Team One's job."

He was doing a good job of giving out information. Germany remembered this part of him, the part of him where he was serious. Germany missed this side of Prussia; it was good to not have a brother who constantly pestered you out of boredom.

Meanwhile, Team Two was led by America and Sweden. Germany wanted to correspond the doppelganger's captains with their own forces; the originals would understand their opponents better than anyone else.

America, too, had gotten much more serious and mature. He explained to the team that Division Two's hideout was in Los Angeles. "They're planning to bomb me, Canada, and Mexico. You two, don't worry, we're going to stop them from bombing us." America added to Canada and Mexico.

Mexico had been quiet all this time, but he nodded at America. Canada, who was relieved that they wouldn't forget saving his people, smiled at America.

"Uh, you know..." America murmured. "It's kinda hard to concentrate when you're poking me with your fork, Cuba. Ow!"

America reached up and rubbed his cheek tenderly.

"Sorry. My hand slipped." Cuba said indifferently.

America didn't see how it was accidental that Cuba poked him; he was out of his seat and right next to him. But he didn't argue with Cuba; he had to remember that he wanted to be best buds with everyone. His teeth stopped grinding in annoyance and he put on a smile.

"It's okay, dude."

Cuba stared at him, only to have Canada lead him back to his seat. "Why don't you finish your dinner first, okay?" Canada laughed nervously.

Team Three, led by Russia, were the most nervous out of the other teams. They had heard Germany had sent out China and Korea to North Korea, and if North Korea came to be their co-captain, then they'd be in a nightmare.

"He's not so bad once you get to know him." Russia said sweetly. "He's misunderstood."

"And when was the last time you've seen him?" Lithuania asked.

"Uh..." Russia stopped for a long time as his team watched him silently. "I don't know. But if he doesn't come, then I'll have you as my co-captain, okay Lithuania?"

Lithuania gulped. He had just gotten a horrifying chill and he could feel that it came from Belarus. "R-Russia, why don't you give that title to Belarus?" Lithuania offered in attempt to spare his life.

"Huh? But I want you to be my co-captain. Or are you not grateful?" Russia loomed over Lithuania with a bittersweet grin. On the other hand, Lithuania could feel the edge of Belarus' knife resting across his back.

Grimacing, he wondered what to do. "Uh...excuse me. I must go to the restroom." Lithuania said hastily, getting up from his chair.

Russia waved at him, saying that he shouldn't take too long.

"Russia?" Ukraine asked kindly. "Where is their hideout? We need to know where."

"Oh, yes. Their hideout is in Omsk. They're going to attack the east side of me, north of China, and Iran." Russia said casually, as if there wasn't a need to be concerned.

He then stopped talking and sat in his chair, pleasantly smiling.

"No pep talk?" Poland asked in a drawling tone. "You totally need to give a pep talk."

"I don't know what to say." Russia admitted. "No one has ever taught me how to give a pep talk. Um, succeed or I'll mess your face up? Kol kol kol kol kol kol kol..."

His team stared at him. Russia had a feeling that it didn't work.

Team Four, led by Japan, were having a better pep talk than Russia's. Japan told them that the hideout they were going to take over was in Kawasaki and that Division Four was going to attack Japan himself, south of China, and the Korean Peninsula.

"We are very short on time." Japan said firmly to his team. "But despite the odds, we can help each other and overcome them. We will rely on each other like family-no, we _are_ family, even though we may come from different ends of the world. We are all alike, yes? We are all different, but we're still the same. We are family, and as a family, we help each other save each other. Through tough times, we will prevail and defeat the doppelgangers and normalize the world once more. We can not afford to lose."

Team Five was led by China and Vietnam, but since China was with Korea, Vietnam briefed everyone. "Division Five is in Suzhou. They will be targeting India, Indonesia, and Australia. The distance can be troubling if we are too late to reach Suzhou in time, so we must get there before they start their attack. No exceptions."

She watched as the team took deep breaths, exchanging looks with everyone. "I know it's nerve-wrecking, and it's a lot of pressure." she said softly. "But I have faith in everyone and there is no doubt in my heart."

Team Six was led by France. To Team Six's surprise, he wasn't trying to make passes at anyone during the briefing. "There's too much work to be done." France explained to the questioning team. "Now back to work. The hideout is in Bordeaux-a wonderful place by the way. I have a vacation house ther-"

"Whatever happened to 'work'?" Romania asked with a small grin, raising an eyebrow at France.

France clapped him on the back heartily. "Ah, mon ami, just side details to captivate your attention. After this I might attract tourists, non?" France laughed before continuing on. "They want to attack me, Spain, and Egypt."

"We're leaving to Bordeaux tomorrow, right?" asked Spain nervously. "I don't know about you but I don't want my people to suffer."

"I don't either." France said. "But Germany says that it depends on how far away our destination is. My house isn't far from here, so I think we'll be leaving in the middle of the night, the night before they attack."

"That's so close to when they might bomb you guys though." Belgium remarked. "Will we make it in time?"

France sighed as his team murmured to each other, troubled. "Mes chers et mes fleurs, please do not worry. I promise we will make it in time. However, we need to be a team and work together. We must have undying belief in each other and work with passion."

Spain nodded eagerly. "Yes! Teamwork is the way to go, amigo!"

"Mon ami, you have the right idea!" France exclaimed, and they threw their arms around their shoulders, grinning at the team. "Alright! Tomorrow, we prepare! The next day, we save the world with passion! Then the next day, we party!"

"If we win, that is." the Netherlands said in a low voice.

"Aw, don't be so grumpy. Have confidence." Spain said, giving the Netherlands a big grin.

"Don't look at me. You look like an idiot." the Netherlands scoffed, and he looked away from Spain and France, poking at his dinner.

Unfazed, Spain added to France, "You know, if we're going to party, where should it be at?"

"We've already made plans to party at America's afterward." Greenland said slyly.

"Did you tell him?" France asked.

"No."

As Team Six roared in laughter (excluding the ones like the Netherlands), Team Seven was trying to get England to tell them everything. England was shooting looks at France's team because they were so loud.

"England, hey, over here." Denmark waved a hand in front of him. "We still need to know where we're going."

England glanced at him and then at his group. "Oh, yes. I'm sorry." he coughed. "Right then. The hideout is in Edinburgh and they're going to hit me. Oddly enough, they're attacking overseas in Brazil and Argentina. I'm not sure why but maybe the other divisions have covered the other countries."

"Why are they attacking certain countries first? Is it based on population? Is it based on power? By what factor are they attacking them for?"

"There can be many different factors that prompted the doppelgangers to pick those countries, but whatever those factors are don't concern me." England said stiffly. "Our job is to destroy the weapons in the _right_ hideout and stop the doppelgangers."

"What do we do to them after we destroy the weapons and stop them from attacking?" asked Finland.

"Tying them up very tightly proves to be a good way of keeping them in place temporarily." England said thoughtfully. "But I assume there will be dozens of doppelgangers per division; tying them all up with the limited number of people we have now probably isn't the best idea."

Silence. There were moments where one person would start to say something but then stop and mutter in embarrassment, "Never mind."

"Accept them." Norway said tonelessly after a moment. "If our doppelgangers are there, accept them and make them lose their will to stay in a physical form."

"Yeah, do an 'Italy'." Denmark said, grinning.

England scratched the back of his head. He 'Britannia kicked' his overboard; he knew that if he couldn't swim, then Dark England couldn't swim either. Eventually, Dark England probably stopped panicking for a split second and teleported away.

However, England had never teleported before; there was a lot of things his doppelganger can do that he couldn't. He wasn't sure if there was a limit or a certain amount of magic used for it. Maybe Dark England wasn't there to lead his division. Maybe kicking Dark England overboard was a good thing.

Or he could have made his doppelganger hate him even more and made him slightly more powerful.

"I'm going to have difficulty accepting my hatred." England muttered to himself.

* * *

><p>The day ended with everyone carefully studying maps of the city where the hideouts were located at. China and Korea returned late at night and somehow, they actually got North Korea to come with them.<p>

Since the majority of the countries were still up studying the maps in their bedrooms, they heard Korea call Germany from his room. "My brother is here, Germany." Korea said wearily, knocking on Germany's door.

Korea led Germany and all the other nations that were curious about North Korea downstairs and into the living room.

China glanced at them when they swarmed into the room and sighed, "Aiya, why is everyone here? North Korea is actually more timid than South."

"So, what, do we call you 'South Korea' now?" America asked Korea, keeping a careful eye on North Korea. America had always had unsettling feelings about that guy.

"Nah, just keep calling me Korea, da-ze." Korea murmured. "Call him 'North'."

North Korea reminded some of them of the doppelgangers. He had an indifferent, nearly icy gaze every time he looked at someone. They assumed that when China meant 'timid', he probably meant less hyperactive.

"I don't mean to bother you." Germany said calmly to North Korea. "But have you happen to run into someone who looks just like you but with red eyes?"

North Korea regarded Germany with suspicion. "Do you mock me?" North Korea asked in a low, quiet, tone.

Germany realized that a question like that was going to offend North Korea unless he knew what was going on. Judging by the fact that North Korea wasn't aware of a doppelganger of himself, he probably had no idea of the situation the rest of the world was in.

And so Germany filled him in, making sure not to say anything that might cause a negative reaction from North Korea; he was rather powerful in a scary way because they never knew what he was thinking. Even Japan, who often made people wonder what was on his mind, wasn't that scary.

North Korea glanced at Korea after Germany was done explaining. Korea wasn't looking at his brother; he kept his gaze glued out the window.

"Do you think I'd really believe this?" North Korea asked, eyes darting back to Germany.

Germany narrowed his eyes. "Have you not seen the emptiness outside? We have evacuated nearly all of the world to the countryside, where they are in camps and bases and away from potential hideouts these doppelgangers might have built. And the power is off throughout the entire world, or is your power on still?"

When North Korea stiffened and admitted that his power was off, Germany added, "I'm telling the truth."

North Korea's expression didn't change. It was impossible to read his face; his doppelganger even expressed more emotion than his original.

Germany blinked. "Follow me."

He led a reluctant North Korea to the basement with the world following them. Without power, they couldn't turn the light on, so Germany found flashlights before they descended into the basements and beckoned for North Korea to come forward with him.

The doppelgangers glanced up at the beam of light and bored a vicious glare into Germany's eyes. The atmosphere in the basement was considerably icy, despite it being early summer.

"Take a look for yourself." Germany said, pointing his beam of light towards Dark North Korea.

Dark North Korea's dark scarlet eyes flickered up to his original, and North Korea stared back at him. It was quiet for a while; the tension in the air kept everyone on their toes, waiting for what would happen next.

North Korea took his eyes off of his doppelganger and turned his gaze to Germany.

"I believe you."


	47. Army

The second day was hectic. There were many countries that were up all night, planning and studying. There was one particular country that kept on raiding Germany's fridge out of frustration after discarding many ideas.

"You know, America, maybe you should calm down and think things through a little more carefully." Canada said as he helped Mexico carry provisions through the hall and past the kitchen door.

The second day was going to be used as 'preparation day'. Countries all over the place loaded up cars and Germany even got some of them planes if their hideout was a considerable distance away.

"America."

America glanced up from the table in the kitchen and smiled weakly at Sweden. "Oh, hey. Have you thought up of any back-up plans yet?"

Sweden shoved a piece of paper towards America and watched as America put his chewed up pencil on the table and curiously unfold the paper. "An address?" he inquired.

"Exact location of the hideout." Sweden corrected.

America's eyes widened and he grinned at Sweden. "Dude, this saves us a lot of time! Sweden, you're beat, do you know that? You are so beast."

Sweden showed uncertainty on his face as America grinned like made. "That's a good thing...being called a beast."

Sweden would mention how unusual America's culture was, but he kept his mouth shut and peered at the paper America was hastily writing on earlier. America followed Sweden's gaze and said, "Oh, this? I just plotted out somethings, nothing that big."

Sweden picked one of the papers up and peered at it with a solemn face. "Why do you need an inflatable swimming pool, marshmallows, and a duck?"

America snatched the paper from Sweden. "Th-that's not the planning paper." America said hastily. He replaced the first paper with another, putting it into Sweden's hand, and said, "_This_ is the planning paper."

Sweden looked it over for a while as America watched him nervously. "Do we have enough swords for this?" Sweden asked America, looking up from the paper.

"What? Disabling them? Maybe, I don't know. But how else will we stop them?" America asked, shrugging.

Sweden stared at the paper for a while, and then looked up at America. "Tell them you don't want to hate anymore."

America took the paper back and picked up his pencil. "Not really action-y but it's a nice heroic way. Huh...I guess that can work. But what about the doppelgangers whose originals we don't have?"

"Swords. Rope. Anything works."

America grinned at Sweden. "I like the way you think."

* * *

><p>Sometimes, Switzerland can't help but wonder if he was capable of protecting Liechtenstein. Ever since the doppelgangers showed up, he had lost her the first day. Now that he had her back, he had to wonder if he'd lose her again, especially now that they were assigned in different teams.<p>

Switzerland was in France's team and Liechtenstein was on England's team; his common sense told him that he won't be able to be there for her if anything happened.

He watched as France conversed with the Netherlands, both of the hunched over a map in the living room. The only table big enough for the map was the coffee table, but it was at knee level and they both knelt down in order to get a good look at it.

As the Netherlands circled something with a highlighter, Switzerland sighed to himself and leaned his head onto the palm of his hand from his armchair, barely paying attention to whatever plan the two were proposing.

"Then Switzerland, you come in through this street with Greenland and Belgium while they- are you listening?" France asked him.

Switzerland blinked. Shaking his head, France sighed and straightened his sitting posture, cracking his knuckles. "What troubles your mind then?"

"Everything." Switzerland murmured.

"Your sister?" the Netherlands asked.

Switzerland wasn't surprised the Netherlands got it spot on; he too had a sister and he would probably relate. "I can't protect her if I'm in this team." Switzerland said pointedly.

"Oh, so you'd rather be in England's team?" France asked with some mocking sass.

"Bluntly put, yes."

France's jaw dropped for a second but the recomposed himself quickly and gave Switzerland a charming smile. "Well, mon ami, don't you worry about your sister. Even though that England can be a grump, I must admit, you sister will be in safe hands. Now, listen closely to your part, d'accord?"

Switzerland leaned forward to examine the map before him and France pointed out that the team would split for a while in order to pinpoint the exact locations of the hideout. "I'm sure that it's in the north side of Bordeaux, but just to play it safe, we should go ahead and search all over the city." France said.

"That will take too long." Switzerland said. "By the time we find them, it will be too late and millions of people will already be dead."

Before France could say something, Portugal poked his head into the living room. "New information." he said, making his way towards the coffee table.

"What is it?" the Netherlands asked.

Portugal squatted down by them and placed a creased paper in front of them. "Came back from the basement. Germany's been interrogating the doppelgangers even more." Portugal said. "I have the address to the hideout."

"That's wonderful!" France exclaimed. "Now we don't have to search all over the city!"

The Netherlands pinpointed the location of the hideout on the map and then he, France, and Portugal started to think up of a new plan. Seeing that he wasn't going to be much of a help anyway, Switzerland got up and left them in the living room in search for his other teammates. They were most likely outside loading up a car Germany had prepared for them (how many cars can Germany spare, he wondered).

Romania and Spain were taking a mid-morning snack, sitting on top of the trunk of the car, danging their feet off the end while chatting. When they saw Switzerland approach, they waved at him and chewed hastily on their sandwiches before asking him what he was up to.

"Are you here to help pack?" Spain asked him. "There's no need to; we're all done. Well, for now. Who knows what else France might want to take."

"It's better if one packs lightly." Switzerland remarked as Spain and Romania nodded in agreement. The three watched other countries load their belongings into the other cars lined up along the road.

Though the inside of the house was crazy and frantic with everyone running around, the outside was relatively calm and peaceful. It seemed to deny the urgency of the situation and put up a relaxing facade that made Switzerland felt much at ease.

Spain poked a plastic straw through a juice box and asked Switzerland if he wanted a box.

Switzerland looked at the juice box Spain offered and sighed, taking it. "I can't help but wonder what will happen tomorrow." Switzerland said quietly as he tore the straw from the juice box.

"A lot of things, that's for sure." Romania said. "Here, just put the wrapper in here." Romania offered a plastic bag for Switzerland, who tossed the straw wrapper into it.

A light summer breeze rustled the trees around them and all the other countries around them paused to admire the natural beauty around them. "It's been a long time since I've laid back on my back outside and look at the sky, ana." Thailand mused.

"Yeah...I can't wait until this is over. That will the first thing I'm going to do. After the party, that is." Spain laughed as Prussia stepped out from the house with rope slung over his shoulder.

"What party?" Prussia asked, stopping to stare at Spain.

"America's hosting a big party for our victory over the doppelgangers. If we win, of course." Romania coughed.

Prussia nearly dropped the ropes in excitement. "That's awesome! Everyone's going, right?" As Spain and Romania nodded, Prussia added, "I need to plan an epic entrance! It has to be the most awesomest entrance ever. Damn, I'm excited already, haha!"

"Did you tell America yet?" Switzerland asked Spain, raising an eyebrow.

Spain scratched the back of his head. "Uh, well...I thought France would."

Switzerland scoffed, "Everyone is planning a party and you haven't told the host?"

"Knowing America, I doubt he'd mind if everyone showed up randomly for a party." Spain said defensively. "Even if we fail to tell him, I'm sure he won't mind."

Switzerland sipped at his juice quietly. When he was done, he tossed the box into the plastic bag and went back inside the house in search of America. He thought that the man should have a warning that the world was planning on crashing his house.

"Uh huh, that's cool." America said, staring intensely at the map with Sweden and Mexico. "Ah, this map makes my eyes hurt...too many lines. What do they all _mean_?"

"Did you hear me America?" Switzerland asked, raising his voice a little.

"Uh...yes?"

"What did I just say?"

"'Did you hear me America?'"

Switzerland decided that it wasn't worth the trouble to inform him and left the members of Team Two in the kitchen while America was trying to figure out where to go.

* * *

><p>Sealand was pretty excited. Even though he was a micronation, Germany had placed him and his micronation friends in the teams. That has got to be a sure sign that they accepted them all as countries.<p>

"Snap out of your silly daydream and pay attention." England snapped at him."You get a chance to show people what you've got and you're blowing it off..."

Sealand shook his head to clear it and gave England an exasperated look. "But I _am_ paying attention! You said that we'd be in the 'Old Town' part of the city. Liechtenstein came back from the basements and gave us the address, and it happens to be there."

England blinked in surprise. He quickly coughed, recovering. "I see. Good. Now as I was saying- _now don't go putting that dreamy expression back on your face! _It makes you look like you're not paying attention. What are you dreaming about, being recognized as an actual nation?"

"I'm one step closer." Sealand said earnestly. He grinned and swung his feet. "I've never been so happy."

"How can you be so happy? The world is close to being destroyed. For all we know, we might lose." England scowled.

"Don't be too harsh on him." Finland said, smiling at Sealand.

England sighed and went on with the plan and Sealand couldn't help but keep a grin on his face throughout the entire meeting.

* * *

><p>By lunchtime, Germany had been told of everyone's plan and he wrote it all down in his notebook. The teams whose destinations were closer would most likely be the first ones done. If that was the case, Germany assigned team partners in case if they finished early (and successfully). That way, if France's team had seized Bordeaux, then they'd be sent over to help China's team or Russia's team.<p>

All the information they needed was known and memorized; there was no need for the doppelgangers down in the basements anymore. They were still making a mess and it was starting to get on Germany's nerves.

"Japan, Vietnam, Korea, North, and Estonia." Germany called. As the five approached him, he pointed to the door of the basement. "Try to accept your doppelganger and please be willing to not hate. You must break their will to stay in physical form."

North Korea looked skeptical. "Is it possible to do that?" he murmured. He shot a look towards Korea, who shied away from his brother.

"Or at least try to hate less." Germany sighed. He caught a flash of uncertainty on their faces before they descended into the basement. _It's for the best._ Germany thought, walking away.

"Yo, Germany." America called from the kitchen. "Do you think we should go ahead with the ropes or do you think we should skewer them?"

"You do what you can."

America frowned. "That's vague. Come on, bro. We need an exact answer."

Germany paused for a while and then said, "Yes."

As he walked away, America cried out in frustration, "Yes _what_?"

"West," Prussia called when Germany started to climb the stairs. "What do you think about our new team name? 'Team Awesome'?"

Prussia's eager expression fell when Germany only returned his grin with a blank stare. "What? Don't you think that's awesome?"

Germany didn't feel like answering to that, but he knew his brother wouldn't let him go without a fight. But then again, he didn't want the team to be called 'Team Awesome'. If everyone chose a team name, there might be some difficulty on remembering which team was which. And with everyone scrambling around, he doubted that it would work out.

"I'll think about it." Germany said, copying Japan's usual phrase. He left Prussia at the bottom of the stairwell, fist pumping the air to himself.

He stepped past people fast walking towards the stairs, talking and muttering like crazy. He was pleased at all the work that was being done; he had never seen all the countries like this before. Maybe having a plausible doomsday was the best motivator.

Germany entered his room and glanced at his closet. It was about time to bring out the big guns, and he literally meant it.

"Germany!"

Germany glanced up at the the door as it flung open. Japan panted, looking very alarmed.

"What is it? What happened?" he snapped. "Did you five get rid of the doppelgangers?"

Japan held a finger up and caught his breath within a few seconds, the seconds that seemed agonizingly too long for Germany. "Estonia and Korea have, although it took Korea a long time." Japan reported. "North is having a much harder time though, and Vietnam is struggling."

"And you?"

"Almost gone, but I have to inform you this immediately."

"What is it?" Germany could feel the urgency in Japan's tone. Whatever it was, if Japan was alarmed, Germany had a right to be too.

"Korea's doppelganger gave us a hint in order to help us before he disappeared." Japan said hastily. "He said that the doppelgangers-do you remember that they can bring out hatred in a person, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"They're using the corrupted people-_our people_- as their own army."


	48. The Suzhou Hideout: Part I

An uproar arose in the conference room and Germany had anticipated that much.

"Our own people? Outrageous!" Austria sniffed.

"To think we have to go through our own people to get to the doppelgangers..." Malaysia groaned.

"They can't do that!" Cuba yelled, banging his fist onto the table. "That's just pure evil."

"Wait, how are they going to even get to them?" Finland asked worriedly. "I thought our armies were watching after them."

"Mr. Puffin says that they're secretly infiltrating." Iceland said as people turned to look at him. "They're-"

"Shut up, you're making it sound too boring." Mr. Puffin scowled. He hopped from Iceland's shoulder and perched on his head, much to Iceland's annoyance. "So listen up! The dopps are digging tunnels underneath and kidnap people! They use their mind control over them and-"

"Stop it. You haven't heard anything of the sort." Iceland scolded him. "Get off my head."

"Never!"

"You know, Germany..." America said. "They can't be that bad. We can probably find a way out of fighting our people. We can pretend to be like them and they'll leave us alone."

"That will only work with people who can act, America." Hungary pointed out.

"So you're saying I can't act?"

Hungary thought back to Guangzhou and America and Korea's 'doomed' scene. "Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm saying..."

Before America could object, Cameroon said, "Wait a moment. The news said that fights often broke in between the people, right? That's how the death toll rose because everyone 'hated' everyone and fought. I don't see how the doppelgangers can keep the fighting under control."

"Well if they can bring out the hatred, I'm sure they can take some out." Lithuania murmured.

"Can they direct their hatred onto something?" Vietnam asked. "Maybe they can direct the people's hatred towards us."

Germany found himself back in the basements with what doppelgangers were left. They seemed slightly more willing to work with them, but that wasn't enough. While Dark Japan and Dark Vietnam were more cooperative, Dark North Korea was practically the same.

While Dark North Korea spat at the other doppelgangers, calling them traitors, Germany called North Korea up to him and asked him if he tried to simmer his hate.

"You're asking too much." North Korea said coldly. "You first call me out of my home and out into this chaos you and the others created-"

"It's not our fault! Your doppelganger is here too so you have part responsibility, da-ze!" Korea argued. He was silenced with a look from North Korea and he looked away, refusing to meet his brother's eyes.

"And now you want me to try to get along with everyone and get rid of this _thing_?" North Korea continued. "I hardly think that's an appropriate thing to as of someone like me."

Germany gritted his teeth. His patience had been tried so many times the last past month and it was seriously in the danger zone, not that it already hasn't been; it reached the red weeks ago, but he had kept it under some control but now it was starting to wear away.

"No matter." Germany said, restraining himself from losing his patience altogether. "Dark Japan. I have a few more questions."

"You always seem to have more." Dark Japan sighed, but he listened.

Germany and the others asked him about whether or not they could direct one's hatred towards a specific thing or person, to which Dark Japan said, "Yes."

Then they asked how they were gathering up all the corrupted people. "We can bring out hatred in people and make them act irrationally. I doubt that's a problem for them; I'm sure the hatred will remember to use that to their advantage when the time comes." Dark Japan said coolly.

That was that; he refused to answer anything else, and Dark Vietnam and Dark North Korea kept their mouths shut. When Japan asked Germany if he should make another attempt to break his hatred's will to stay in a physical form, Germany shook his head.

"Another time; they're our Intelligence sources for now. I'll let you know when you can." Germany said, shooting one last look towards Dark Japan. He stopped and notice that there wasn't a scowl on Dark Japan's face. He had a more easy-going expression and his eyes were a mix between red and brown.

Germany couldn't help but smile to himself. One by one, the world was learning to forgive.

* * *

><p>The night was restless. Germany barked at every country that roamed the hall, worrying over the next day. "Unless your team isn't leaving in a few hours, go to bed!" Germany yelled.<p>

The hideouts that were the farthest away were the ones that the teams needed to get to. Germany wanted to send them over as quickly as possible, and they were to leave in an hour. The ones who were up and getting ready to go was America and Sweden's Team Two, Japan's Team Four (Korea had asked Japan if he could be co-captain over and over again until Japan wearily agreed just to get Korea to stop bothering him), and China and Vietnam's Team Five.

It was midnight when the three teams departed. Germany had stopped them at the doorway and shook hands with all of them, giving them all an intense look in the eye that made them advert their own eyes in discomfort.

"You really make it sound like we won't see each other again, aru." China murmured.

Germany watched as the teams went their separate ways. He glanced up and saw that all the windows on the second floor facing them was open and their were heads poking out, hands waving in farewell.

* * *

><p>The Suzhou Hideout was closer than the Los Angeles and the Kawasaki Hideout, and so China's team arrived to their destination first. China stopped his car on the highway leading into the city and motioned for the others who were driving behind him to stop.<p>

It was a two and a half hour drive and as far as they knew, there were no flaming missiles in the air or fighter planes zooming overhead. It was quiet and a little dim since the sun was not yet over the horizon (despite it being roughly six in the morning in China); it was a tense mixture of environment. China gathered his team up and made sure they remembered the plan.

"We might run into my people, and if you do, don't panic." China said. "Watch what they do first; if they don't react, continue on. If they run after you, run, aru."

"Are you worried for their safety?" asked Australia.

"Of course." China said quietly. "But I can not let that get to my head. We need to get going, aru."

They followed China to the city on foot; the cars would attract too much attention. "Besides, a little exercise won't hurt us." the Philippines panted, giving everyone a smile.

"Remember the address?" Wy huffed at China. Wy had been assigned to Team Five for two reasons; One, her older brother, Australia, was there and was able to look after her (despite her complaints) and two, because she lived practically next-door to Australia, and Australia was on the hit list.

"Of course, aru." China said.

China led them around the beautiful city; even though they were supposed to be focusing solely on their work, they couldn't help but point out the pagodas and the canal in the downtown area with admiration.

"Suzhou is one of the 'Venice in the East', aru." China told them as they walked along the narrow 'sidewalk', following the canal.

"One of them?" New Zealand murmured.

"There are many others, aru."

China then led them towards what he called the 'Jiangsu Province', and he said that they had to behave whenever they step foot in the Ruiguang Pagoda. "It's very old, and if you break something I'll send my whole army after you, aru." he threatened.

"You shouldn't treat your comrades like that." Vietnam chided. "No threatening, alright?"

"What will I do if they break something, aru?"

Vietnam heaved a sigh. "Forgive them, make them pay for repairs, something not violent."

The pagoda was a lovely dark shade of maroon underneath the rising sun. It towered over them as they stepped into the courtyard, sneaking along the shadows. Malaysia whispered something about it being too quiet, too still. It made everyone more suspicious.

China held a hand up to halt them and he faced them with a determined expression glued stubbornly to his face. "Okay, so the hideout is apparently on these grounds. If we're going to stop them, we first have to find them, aru. Execute Plan A, aru!"

Plan A was a seemingly simple plan, and maybe it was. China would lead one half of the group to find and destroy the weapons while Vietnam led the other half as scouts. They had created a system of how they were going to relay information to each other without getting noticed, and for Vietnam's half of the team, there was bound to be a lot of sneaking around like a ninja.

"Ninjas come from Japan, not us." Vietnam explained to Australia. "And don't say 'Same difference'. China gets irritated if people say that." she added in a whisper.

China beckoned for New Zealand, the Philippines, and Australia to follow him across the courtyard and Vietnam stationed Malaysia near the water of the lake not too far away from the pagoda and Wy was stationed to the east of the pagoda, facing the streets.

Vietnam fixed herself up in a tree to the north and scanned the darkening streets for any sign of movement. Should she spot anything, she'd make a bird call-each call different for a certain situation. She'd do a crow-like call when she needed help, a high, sharp call if she spotted a doppelganger, three chirps if her side was safe and clear, and a low, wavering call that required both her hands and a wiggle of her left fingers that meant that it was time to make their leave.

There were more, but she tried not to concentrate on the different calls in fear she might let something go unnoticed.

While the three were outside keeping close watch with ropes slung over a shoulder and under the opposite arm, guns with silencers propped up against their bodies, and swords and daggers galore strapped to them, China and his half of the team were figuring out where exactly the weapons were at and if they could, disable the doppelgangers and force them to release China's people from their corruption.

"I doubt it's in this pagoda. I mean, weapons of mass destruction in a small tower like this..." New Zealand murmured, circling back to China.

"It's not a tower, aru." China whispered. "It's a pa-"

"Okay, I got it." New Zealand whispered back. "Maybe we should check outside. It could be underground."

"Aiya, we don't have the time to dig!" China groaned.

"If it's underground, then there would already be an entrance the doppelgangers built in order to access it." Australia said thoughtfully.

China rubbed his chin for a moment. "New Zealand, Philippines, come with me. Australia, stay here and keep looking. Be careful, make sure your gun is loaded, aru."

Australia nodded at China curtly and China hastily made his way outside into the cool night with New Zealand and the Philippines at his heel. They made it as far as to the water's edge where Malaysia kept guard and called out to him in a single high pitched chirp that meant that a comrade is near and to not shoot.

"What are you three doing out here?" Malaysia asked, surprised. "Aren't you supposed to be searching for the weapons?"

China went on to explain that there wasn't a good chance that it was inside the actual pagoda and suggested that it could be in the area somehow. The three scanned the land and saw that there was no suitable place to actually store them.

As New Zealand murmured that they'd have to have dug an underground lair or something of the sort in order to do such a thing, China grabbed a hold of his shoulders excitedly and shook them, whispering, "Yes, that must be it, aru!"

"How do they have the time to build underground lairs?" the Philippines asked skeptically.

China crossed his arms and smirked. "If I can build a Chinatown in meeting rooms within a few seconds, my doppelganger will be able to make a hideout underground within a few seconds too, aru!"

"Why is something like that worth bragging about?"

"Okay, so hypothetically speaking, if Dark China built an underground hideout, then how would we find it?" New Zealand asked slowly.

China rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If I were to make a hideout, I'd probably have it where people would east expect it, aru."

"No kidding." Malaysia said. "Where?"

"Hmm..." China glanced around. "Under the lake, aru?"

"How would they build a hideout underwater?" Malaysia asked, stunned.

"Chicago, aru."

Malaysia coughed. "Carry on."

* * *

><p>Wy wished she had slept on the way to Suzhou, but everything was happening so fast that she felt that if she slept even a little bit, she'd miss something exciting. Of course, the only thing exciting so far was the sky zooming forward into time as they 'drove backwards in time'. Due to the time zones and the fact that China had already seen midnight and a few hours later, it was six in the morning.<p>

She worried for Japan's group because for them, they'd arrive at seven in Japan, and there was no knowing when the doppelgangers would attack.

But then again, worrying wore her out and she needed to be on alert so she could prove she could do it; she did not want to disappoint the countries now that she was finally working with them like equals. It was a chance she never imagined would come true under that brat Sealand's plan.

Wy sighed. Sometimes, she felt like Sealand was too...hyperactive. With him around, it tired her out. Just thinking about his hyperactivity wore her out!

She stopped herself before she fell asleep on watch and concentrated scanning the south side of the pagoda as the sun started to peek out from the horizon. She stayed in the shadows, afraid that a doppelganger would see her if she stepped one toe out into the sunlight.

A few minutes passed in silence. The silence practically coaxed her to sleep, and she started to doze off. She snapped her head up and said to herself, "No. If I fall asleep, what will happen to the world? I have to stay up. Come on!"

Peering around the trunk of the tree she stood behind, Wy dashed from that tree to another. Peering out again, she watched the streets to the south and then she shot a suspicious look behind her in case if someone was following. No one.

Wy grinned to herself and then she glanced back towards the streets. Still nothing. Wy threw the strap of her gun over her shoulder and when the gun with the silencer was resting on her back, she dashed to another tree and started to climb. She perched herself at the first big branch she got to and scanned the lake a ways off. She knew Malaysia would be there and she wondered if he was okay. She sighed in relief when she saw his figure looking around.

Then she took a good look at the other direction and tried to make out Vietnam. She couldn't find her, but she didn't worry. If anything happened, Vietnam would have sent out a call.

Wy froze when she glanced back at Malaysia's hiding spot. Only, she wasn't concerned about him, not when there were three figures standing on the bridge over the lake. _Doppelgangers_! Wy thought in alarm, and she waited for Malaysia to send out a shrill, high pitched call, but he didn't.

Wy stared at the three figures, her mouth agape. Then she looked at Malaysia's silhouette and was stunned he was looking right at the lake without doing anything. Was he paralyzed with fear? What was going on?

And then she took a closer look and saw that the figures were China, New Zealand, and the Philippines. She assumed they were the real ones, and that was probably why Malaysia wasn't so worried. Wy exhaled quickly, and murmured, "Geez, why are you so worked up?"

A barely audible rustle made her jump. If it wasn't for peaceful serenity around her, she wouldn't have heard it. But she did, and she looked down at the ground.

* * *

><p>A high, shrill call pierced the early morning air, and Vietnam's heart jolted. It came from the south, and she jumped off her tree branch without a second thought. Wy was in trouble, and the call signaled that a doppelganger had been spotted.<p>

Whether Wy was spotted herself was something Vietnam wanted to know, and she raced towards the call that became more anxious, more strained. Vietnam gritted her teeth, clutching her weapon. Wy was in trouble.

* * *

><p>Malaysia's head turned to the left and he clenched his fist. Wy. He glanced back at China and the others, and China waved him on frantically. Malaysia sprinted off and hoped that Wy was alright and that China, New Zealand, and the Philippines were able to find the hideout entrance, because they might be running out of time.<p>

He heard someone running ahead of him and he lifted his gun a little, ready to shoot if needed. When the mysterious person in front of him ran across the courtyard and out in the sun, he hissed, "Vietnam!"

Vietnam shot him a brief sideways glance as Malaysia also came out into the new sunlight. "We have to be prepared." she said to him.

Malaysia gripped his gun a little tighter. "I know."


	49. Los Angeles and Kawasaki: Part I

Cold, strong wind blasted at them as the airplane flew through the bright sky. America grinned, adjusting his goggles. It was four in the afternoon in Los Angeles, and he found it odd how they 'traveled back in time'. So it was possible after all, just not necessarily the way he thought.

"So we're parachuting down from here in a few minutes!" America called to the others. "Whenever Germany's pilot gives the signal, we'll jump, got it guys?"

Germany had sent a pilot with them to take them to the Los Angeles Hideout and back, so long as they made it out alright. America told the pilot that if they didn't make it back within twenty four hours, he'd go ahead and return to Germany without them. "We can't risk your safety like that, sir." America had told the pilot earnestly.

Canada made his way to his brother by the open hatch and said, "America, do you think we can do it?"

America blinked at Canada. "What?" he yelled.

"Do you think we can do it?" Canada called, but his voice was still too soft.

"What?"

Cuba shouted, "He asked if we could do it, you deaf American bastard!"

"What?"

Canada and Cuba gave up; there was no point in trying to communicate with America. As Canada returned to his seat, America peered down at the ground and took a deep breath. Soon, they'd be running about the city, charging towards the hideout, and then somehow they were going to sneak in without attracting any attention (this part was one of the few parts America worried about), and put a heroic stop to the doppelgangers.

America hoped that because of the Best Buds Group, his doppelganger wouldn't be as strong, but he had to ask himself; did he really forgive the members? Or was it just a self-satisfying facade to make him feel better?

_What kind of person am I?_ America thought miserably.

A hand rested on his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. America turned his head a little to see Sweden staring back at him. America gave him a small smile. "Yo, what's up?"

Of course, Sweden didn't say anything. America laughed and gave Sweden a pat on the back. "Okay, I'll cheer up. Now, I think it's about time to kick some ass, am I right?"

Sweden gave America a small nod and America grinned at him. "Alright men!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "I know you're scared, and I know you're wondering if we'll save the world...or at least part of it..but know this, okay? We are all heroes, and no matter what happens, don't blame yourself, because it's not your fault."

America gave his team one last sweep of his eyes and then he glanced at the pilot, who gave them the signal. "Alright then men. This is our stop." America turned his body towards the hatch and peered back down at the ground. He gave the pilot a thumbs up before jumping. "Thanks dude, you're awesome, you know that?"

America didn't know if the man spoke English, and he didn't really care. He just wanted to know that his work was appreciated. After his thumbs up, he took a huge breath, crouched, and leapt into the air outside of the plane, and yelled, "FOR JUSTICE!"

As America dove through the sky, Mexico leaned over the hatch and murmured, "He's all about justice, isn't he?" He inhaled sharply as a hand pushed him on the back and he yelled as he plunged through the clouds, after America.

"You talk too much!" Cuba called after him. He smiled at Canada and said, "That guy, huh? See you!" And he jumped down after America and Mexico with a whoop of joy.

Sweden gave Canada, Molossia, and Cameroon an expecting glance. Cameroon weaved in between Canada and Molossia, gave Sweden a small nod, and leapt after the others.

"Uh...you first." Molossia muttered to Canada.

Canada bit his lip.

"It's safe, don't worry." Sweden said, throwing an indifferent look outside.

Canada trusted Sweden's judgment and made himself jump off despite all the tiny voices in his head disagreeing with his inevitable decision.

As Canada let out a yell, free falling to the ground, Sweden fixed his eyes on Molossia. Molossia blinked. "It's my turn? Why don't you uh, go first, hm?"

Silence.

Molossia yelped as Sweden grabbed his arm and flung him over and out. And then Sweden jumped after him, unfazed by the terrifying light feeling in all of their chests that made them feel uneasy, unstable. They weren't on solid ground for goodness' sake.

America glanced around him and laughed. It had been a while since he felt so free and spirited. Just falling down made him grin like crazy. He heard calls for his name, and he knew why they called. They were probably wondering when they could open their parachutes and glide down to safety.

_Ah, killjoys._ America thought, smiling to himself. He reached back, prayed that his parachute wasn't going to fail, and pulled on the string.

The parachute exploded from his back and he let out a grunt as it caught the air and jerked him up with such force that he felt a small burst of adrenaline rush through. That or a brief 'Holy crap, I'm going to die!' feeling. Either one worked.

One by one, the rest of his team followed his lead and they all hung in the air, slowly descending.

America wondered if anyone would get caught by buildings or telephone poles. He had to admit, it would be pretty funny, but he hoped that they would all land in the same general area on the same ground level. It would make his job harder if half the team was on a multiple story building while the other half was on the streets.

When everyone was on the ground safe and sound, America stuffed his parachute into the backpack it came with and motioned for the team to follow him. "West Jefferson Boulevard?" America murmured to himself. "Okay, we're not too far. Just a couple of blocks. Man, that's good aim Mr. Pilot has." America shaded the late afternoon sun out of his eyes as he watched the plane fly past them.

"Where to now, America?" Mexico asked, brushing imaginary dirt from his hands.

America grinned and pointed west. "Onward!"

* * *

><p>"This place is huge." Canada whispered.<p>

America had led them inside a warehouse in a field among many other warehouses. They had a feeling that many of them were used, but America said that according to the information Germany had got for them, there was only one that was occupied.

"That or Germany didn't think there would be more than one place. Oh well." America shrugged. "If they use the other warehouses, it won't take us long to get to them. They aren't too far. Now come one. Let's see what's in there."

"Don't you think they have security cameras, America?" Cameroon asked quietly as they followed America into the shadows.

"Yeah, but if they saw us, don't you think they'll be out looking for us by now?" America asked pointedly.

"These are doppelgangers though. They might be waiting for us to come to them."

America stopped and said, "You're right. This could be a set-up!"

"What do we do, sir?" Molossia asked nervously.

America tapped his chin for a moment and then he glanced at Sweden. "You know, we can turn the power off. That way they don't have cameras, motion sensors, or whatever else they might be using to detect intruders."

"And how?" asked Cuba skeptically.

America flashed him a smile. "Our armies are still on stand by, right? Well guess who tipped them off that we'd be having a final battle here? I have some of them near by and they can send out an EMP and we're good to go."

Mexico raised an impressed eyebrow. "You're not as dumb as you look America."

America looked torn between an offensive look and a proud look. He settled with a small smile and slipped off his backpack, unzipping the first zipper. Balancing the backpack on one knee, America fished for a walkie-talkie and muttered something in to it.

Seconds later, they heard several doppelgangers inside the warehouse alert each other of the sudden blackout. America grinned as he zipped up his backpack, keeping the walkie-talkie in his right hand, and slipped it back over his back. "Follow me, men." America whispered, and they followed him to the back of the warehouse and through a side door.

There were boxes that blocked their view at first when they came through, but that was good because it also blocked the doppelgangers's view. America was right about their tactics on figuring out if an intruder was lurking around; America pointed out motion sensors on the ground and on the ceiling.

America peered over the last box and he received a cold chill the moment he did. The doppelgangers present were hastily fixing the blackout problem and they needed to for the nuclear weapons delivery, else they wouldn't be able to lock onto their targets.

America knew all too well that one bomb could destroy a city or two, but how many weapons did they have to destroy three whole countries? Or were they only attacking the capitols?

_No, if it's only the capitols, then they wouldn't need this much. _America thought somberly. _Maybe just major cities...if they're going to destroy the world, they need time and supplies. There's not enough nukes to destroy the world anyway, so the majority of the world should be okay for now. The doppelgangers only want to destroy- I mean, weaken the superpowers. It will takes years and years to build more nuclear weapons and use them, and if they use them, that will cause debris to fly into the air and who knows, we wouldn't see the sun for years! But then again, they won't be rash and use them all at once; they have normal weapons too, not just nuclear...aw, my head hurts now...I have to stop thinking._

But he couldn't help but wonder. He guessed it was safe to assume they would be hitting the major cities first-no, wait, why would they hit empty cities? Wasn't their goal to destroy the majority of humanity, only keeping the government officials and a few hundred citizens of each country safe to keep the country alive? If so, then they'd be attacking the larges human bases that everyone evacuated to.

"America, time's running out. What are you doing?" Cameroon whispered to him.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Just thinking...ow..." America rubbed his head a little to keep his headache from getting worse, as if rubbing it would help much. "Alright, we need to alter the plan just a little bit. Since the power is off, but only for a few minutes, depending on how fast the doppelgangers work. We're still going to search around and see how many weapons they have here. After that, come back to me and me and Sweden here will figure out the next step, got it?"

"And if we're found out?" asked Canada.

America bit his lip. "If that happens, then we fight back. It's the only thing we can do, so try not to make yourself noticed."

His team nodded solemnly. America gave them a weary smile. "What's this? You guys look depressed. This isn't the end...this is only the beginning."

* * *

><p>Russia's team was the next to go. Omsk wasn't as far as Suzhou or Los Angeles or Kawasaki, but there was a long road ahead of Team Three, and there was no time to spare.<p>

Germany watched from the porch as the cars drove away. Four teams were now sent away, and there were three teams left in his house; his own, France's, and England's.

The house was noticeably quieter, but it was also noticeably tense. Italy, Belgium, Finland, and Spain had tried to cheer everyone up, but the brief moment of laughter was short-lived and things returned to its usual foreboding gloom.

"We all look like we're ready for a funeral." Hungary said softly in the living room.

"We might as well." Austria said, taking a small sip of coffee.

"Pessimistic much?"

"No, just realistic."

Silence.

"Well that's depressing." Switzerland scowled.

* * *

><p>Japan was an hour ahead of China, and he knew that if it was seven at his house, it would be six at China's. Out of all the teams, he had the least time and America had more time. In fact, America's team would be traveling back a day. He wished that he had time like America, but unfortunately, he didn't have much.<p>

He wasn't even sure when they'd attack.

"Please be as quiet as possible." Japan whispered to his team as he led them through the city. "We must infiltrate silently."

"Like, how?" Hong Kong asked.

"I've gone and researched the building of the hideout and I have the blueprints. I studied them and saw that we can slip in the air vents easily and use it to our advantage." Japan said, circling around an abandoned van on the street.

"Air vents?" Seychelles asked. "Are you sure they're big enough?"

"I'm quite sure."

Japan's team consisted of his siblings, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, and Hong Kong, but it also consisted of Seychelles and Greece for certain reasons. Germany thought Greece would work better with Japan, since they were good friends, and Seychelles didn't mind being teamed up with some of the Asian siblings.

"How are we going to get into the air vents though?" Taiwan asked.

Japan didn't answer right away; he left Taiwan's question to linger in the air just for a little bit longer before replying, "The building has several secret tunnels and passageways. There's bound to be one we can use."

"Ooh, so we're going to be all ninja, right Japan, da-ze?" Korea asked eagerly.

Japan gave Korea a small, wry, smile. "Of course."

Korea grinned. "Awesome. Did you know ninjas origi-"

"Please stop it."

The air vents were roomy like Japan promised, but Japan couldn't help but feel anxious seeing that every time they moved forward, someone would bump into the wall with their shoe and make a loud clang that was sure to attract the attention of a doppelganger or two.

"Please be quiet everyone." he whispered for the umpteenth time.

"We're trying to, but with everyone here, it's hard to." Seychelles whispered back. "Ow, you just kicked me Thailand."

"I'm sorry, ana."

"It's fine. Um, Japan, why don't we split into groups? Not only will it be faster, but it would be a comfort for us all." Seychelles suggested thoughtfully.

"I'm glad I came prepared then." Japan replied. "Korea, can you reach into my backpack?" A hand tugged at the backpack from behind and Japan said, "Good. Now open the first zipper up; there should be maps of the building around there. There are diagrams and paths that I marked down for the air vents, the sewers, the actual building, the foundation, the-"

"Okay, we get it, da-ze." Korea whispered at once. "Just stop talking and let me get the maps."

It took a long minute for Korea to get the papers, and in that minute they all had heard doppelgangers speak underneath them. They recognized Dark Mongolia talking to Dark Egypt, and he was saying how Dark Japan wasn't back from his infiltration in Germany. "He must have been captured." Dark Mongolia said in a business like tone. "If that's the case, I'll take over for him."

Dark Egypt nodded, something his original often did. As they walked away, Taiwan whispered, "Why is Egypt's doppelganger here? He's nearly halfway around the world."

"There are a lot of countries who aren't particularly close to a certain superpower, so they probably got assigned to random ones. And the superpowers that are closer to them are probably full of doppelgangers already and so they go to the divisions who don't have as much." Japan explained.

"That or they are needed for special abilities, da-ze." Korea added. "Maybe Egypt and Dark Egypt can summon serpents and snake monster things, da-ze."

"That's, like, legend." Hong Kong whispered. "You can't believe everything you, like, see or hear."

Korea finally passed the maps backwards to the others and zipped Japan's backpack up with several sudden tugs.

"Korea, take Hong Kong and Seychelles. I'll take the others. When we get to the end of this vent, over there." Japan pointed ahead of himself, but he doubted that they could all see the end. "I'll take the right path, Korea, lead the others to the left. From there, we'll look for the place where they store the weapons. When you find it, disable them. When you find doppelgangers, dispose of them quietly."

"Dispose, ana?" Thailand asked.

"Yes. Dispose. Disable them somehow whether with ropes or sword or anything you can think of and make sure they don't go anywhere. Lock them somewhere, tie them somewhere, anything." Japan clarified. "Good luck everyone. I wish you all the best of luck."


	50. The Suzhou Hideout: Part II

Wy stared up angrily at the red eyes of her captor. Being tied up wasn't fun. She would snarl and snap and shout at Dark China, but that was difficult when her mouth was gagged tightly with cloth. She hoped the cloth was clean, but that was the least of her worries. She wasn't even sure if Vietnam and Malaysia had heard her call, and if they did, she didn't hear them crashing through the trees to rescue her.

The pagoda wasn't too far from her either, and she was sure that Australia would at least hear her, and she hoped his 'big brother' instincts would kick in soon. If not, then she was stuck as Dark China's prisoner, and that wasn't very appealing.

"A micronation, huh?" Dark China murmured. "Strange, aru. The countries must be here if you are. There shouldn't be too many of them, however...only the handful that escaped from Chicago and the ones back at Germany's, aru." But Dark China still looked troubled. "I must take precautions then." he murmured to himself, glancing around suspiciously.

Wy tried to say something but all that came out were angry muffled noises.

Dark China shot her a look that silenced her out of sheer fear. The look in his eyes was menacing enough to strike horror into her. "That call earlier. Was that a distress signal, aru?" Dark China asked softly, calmly.

Wy didn't do anything. She adverted her eyes and stared at the ground.

"I'll assume so; what else can it be, aru?" Dark China grabbed her by the collar and lifted her off the ground as if she was a doll. Wy made a sudden noise of exasperation but Dark China ignored her and began to walk west, towards the lake.

"There's no way I'll leave you here unattended." Dark China said quietly. "That will be stupid of me, aru."

His tone was dark and cold; Wy whimpered.

But then she stopped whimpering and blinked her eyes. Squinting, she made out Malaysia and Vietnam following them, a finger over their lips to keep her quiet.

If she was completely quiet, Dark China might suspect and turn around, blowing their covers. Wy decided to whimper again, trying to sound alarmed and scared. It was the only thing she could do to make Dark China think that she was completely in his control; she couldn't let him even think that they were being followed.

Dark China scanned the lake when they arrived to the shore. He must have seen China, New Zealand, and the Philippines because he harrumphed and muttered, "So _he's_ here too. Figures, aru."

Wy tried to turn her head but she couldn't. Despite the fact that she couldn't see what Dark China was doing, she knew it wasn't good, because she heard him mutter to himself, "I'll have to bring them down before they find it, aru."

Then, all of a sudden, a softened gun shot that was barely loud enough to make Wy jump in alarm sounded. Almost immediately after the shot, Dark China's dark blood shot into the air and Wy wrinkled her nose in annoyance as some of his blood splattered onto her face.

Dark China released her and she gasped in surprise as she hit the ground.

Dark China's wound closed up and he turned around, only to be bombarded by several more shots until his body's reactions caused him to stagger backwards into the lake.

As Dark China fell into the lake with a splash, Malaysia and Vietnam dashed forward. Vietnam untied Wy while Malaysia readied himself for Dark China. They were facing the captain of the Fifth Division; they needed to bring him down.

The splash Dark China made was sure to attract the attention of China and the others on the bridge. Malaysia could see that the three had paused to look over, even though he couldn't make out their exact expressions. He knew they were alarmed because after their brief hesitant pause, they shot looks around them hastily.

"Dark China said that he wanted to take China and the others down before they find it, whatever 'it' is." Wy said at once to Vietnam when she was ungagged.

"Could it be the hideout?" Vietnam asked Malaysia hurriedly, to which Malaysia nodded.

"It has to be." he replied. "That, or the weapons. Either one is fine."

The three held their breath as Dark China climbed back on. Malaysia didn't dare waste anymore ammo and keep him down in the water; it was futile and a waste of provisions. Dark China wrung his limp ponytail and gave Malaysia and Vietnam a hostile snarl.

"You won't tell us where the hideout is, won't you?" Malaysia asked quietly, dangerously.

Dark China said nothing.

"No matter how much we threaten you, it won't do a thing."

Dark China spat at them, but that was it.

Malaysia kept a wary eye on the doppelganger and Vietnam shifted herself so that she was standing in front of Wy protectively, her gun loaded and her finger brushing by the trigger. No one moved; they merely examined the other, taking notes to themselves and planning on what to do from there.

Dark China gave the three a long look as he thought, but later, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Wy wondered if he really was thinking the whole time. Dark China might have thought out his plan so long ago, but waited for them to get so caught up with their own plan, he made his move when they weren't expecting him.

Vietnam looped her arms underneath Wy's arms and pulled her away to the right as Dark China charged at them. Malaysia didn't dare shoot in case if he accidentally hit Vietnam or Wy or both. He leapt aside as the doppelganger barged through and yelled, "Vietnam! Distract him! I'll knock him down and Wy will tie him up with the rope!"

Malaysia ducked as Dark China lunged towards him, flying into the air. Malaysia gritted his teeth as Dark China used his back to his advantage, using it as a platform to launch himself into the air so he could safely land on the ground in a correct position.

What annoyed Malaysia even more was that Vietnam did the exact same thing to get into the air high enough; she jumped up at Malaysia and pushed off with her feet, sending herself towards Dark China.

"What am I, a launch pad?" Malaysia muttered to himself but he circled around them, waiting and watching for an opening.

Dark China was fast; Vietnam could barely keep up with him. A left fist here, a right kick over there, and while her arms were busy blocking them, a surprise attack from his free arm and she stagger back with a bloody nose.

Wiping the small trail of blood with the back of her sleeve, Vietnam thought, _Malaysia will be looking for an opening. What opening can I give him?_

She ducked as Dark China swung his leg over her and she jumped into the air was he spun around and used his other leg to sweep the ground below her.

Vietnam landed lightly on her feet and slammed the butt of her gun to Dark China's head as hard as she could. Blood spurted out into the air and Dark China ceased his attack for a brief second before the wound closed up. But she kept at it.

Right fist, left kick, duck, sidestep, left elbow to the back, trip. Vietnam panted as she pinned Dark China to the ground but she found herself overpowered and Dark China tossed her aside. Vietnam grimaced as she slid across the ground, but she hoped that Malaysia would use the opening to his advantage and overpower Dark China.

He did.

Malaysia lunged the moment Dark China tossed Vietnam away and tackled him. The two furiously wrestled on the ground, both determined to beat the other. "Wy! Get ready!" Malaysia yelled at her before Dark China's fist dealt a single, hard blow to his cheek.

Wy rushed forward with a rope as Malaysia pinned Dark China down, but he struggled to keep him there.

Wy shrieked as Dark China's legs got free and kicked at her. She staggered back, blood running from her nose. The pain brought tears to her eyes, and she was furious that she had let her guard down. Whether they were angry tears or tears of pain, she had no idea.

Malaysia was overpowered like Vietnam and he was tossed aside, slamming into a nearby tree. Dark China brushed off the dirt from him and gave the three a glare. "I wonder if you three are even worth the trouble, aru." he scowled.

"You mean four, mate?"

Wy blinked away the tears welling up in her eyes and she exclaimed, "Australia!"

Dark China spun around, only to have Australia's foot land right in his face. Dark China fell backwards from the drop kick and more of his blood painted the concrete path.

Australia grinned at Wy and said, "Big brother to the rescue, huh?"

Dark China picked himself off the ground and sneered, "Another one? Aiya, why so much work?"

"Aw, don't worry. It'll be quick and simple." Australia grinned. He glanced at Malaysia. "We'll hold him down together. And Vietnam and Wy, you two tie him. Watch his feet."

Wy rubbed the blood away from her nose with her hand and she gave Australia a nod. "Okay."

The fight began again; Dark China was capable of keeping both Australia and Malaysia at bay by himself. As Australia threw a punch towards Dark China's face and Malaysia did the same on the other side, Dark China merely ducked so they'd take care of each other.

"I'm sorry." Malaysia grimaced, shaking his bloodied fist.

"Never thought we'd be playing Bloody Knuckles." Australia cringed, massaging his fist tenderly.

While the two countries were busying themselves with the important task of taking down the doppelganger, Wy handed one of the ropes she had to Vietnam. "Do we tie him up all the way? Wrap the ropes around him from ankle to chest?" Wy asked her.

"No, save the rope." Vietnam said. "There are several more doppelgangers out there and we need to use as little rope as possible. Tie the ankle and the wrists. We'll see what we can do from there."

The moment Dark China finally hit the ground, Australia leaned his knee into the doppelganger's back, holding Dark China's head down with his hand and Malaysia sat on Dark China's legs, back facing Australia, arms wrapped around the legs that tried to flail out of his grip.

"Quick, tie him up!" Malaysia yelled to Vietnam and Wy.

They ran forward, Vietnam taking care of the feet this time and Wy ran up to Dark China's torso. Australia helped her bring Dark China's arms down; Australia held Dark China's hands together as Wy tied them tightly.

"Good work." Australia said to Wy as he cut the long end of the rope with a knife. "Here's the remainder of the rope. You can probably tied another five pair of hands with that."

Wy slung the rope around her shoulder again. "That's good." she said, trying not to sound too excited. She finally participated in something big, and she couldn't have felt any prouder.

"Why are you cutting it so long, Vietnam?" Malaysia asked her when she cut the rope with her own knife. Vietnam had tied Dark China's feet up with the rope Wy gave her and for some odd reason, there was still a lot of rope left over; a good several feet.

"We can't leave him on the ground." Vietnam said pointedly. "He has a chance to get away if he's on the ground, but if he's suspended in the air, there's not much of a chance, is there?"

Malaysia raised an eyebrow at her direction while Australia said, "I like the way you think."

"How are we going to do that?" Wy asked as Dark China cursed at them.

* * *

><p>Five minutes later, the four of them left the lake side in search for the real China, New Zealand, and the Philippines while Dark China swung upside from a thick, sturdy tree branch, gagged up with the same cloth Wy was gagged with earlier.<p> 


	51. The Kawasaki Hideout: Part II

Japan was relatively at ease; ever since they split up, things were going more smoothly. Meaning that things were quiet and silent like they should be.

But then, when he peeked out of the vent through slits on the bottom, he stopped in alarm. His sudden halt caused Thailand behind him to bump into his foot, producing a clear clang. Japan, Thailand, and Taiwan froze in fear as the sound carried throughout the vent, vibrating the walls around them.

Japan gulped and examined the doppelgangers below them. They didn't move a single inch. They continued talking, calmly, business-like. If they heard, they didn't show signs of it.

But these were doppelgangers they were dealing with. Japan suspected that they did indeed hear them but pretended not to in order to make him, Thailand, Greece, and Taiwan think that they were safe (Taiwan was only in the back because it would be inappropriate if she was in the middle or the front, seeing that she had a skirt on). The doppelgangers were sneaky and cunning like that; it didn't make Japan feel any better however. If anything, it made him feel worse.

"What do we do?" Taiwan whispered. Though she couldn't see what was going on in the front, she could still hear the doppelgangers talk underneath them in the hall.

Japan held up a hand so that Thailand, Greece, and Taiwan could see that they were stopping for now. Japan fixed his eyes on Dark Philippines and Dark Indonesia. The two doppelgangers conversed for a while, and during their conversation, the three countries started to slowly inch their way through, hoping that Dark Philippines and Dark Indonesia wouldn't look up and see them crawl by.

Fortunately for them, the two doppelgangers walked away from them and out of their sight. "We're safe, ana." Thailand sighed in relief.

"That's great." Greece smiled.

But Japan had a bad feeling they still had to worry, but he continued on.

They came across an intersection and based on what Japan's guts wanted, they turned left. It wasn't long before Japan came across another section of half-inch slits on the bottom of the vents to peek through, and what he saw thoroughly caused his blood to drain out of his paling face.

"What is it, Japan?" Taiwan asked worriedly, sensing his abrupt tension.

Japan didn't want to worry the others, but after Thailand asked, "We're in trouble again, aren't we, ana?", he knew that they were worrying even before he told them what was going on.

Through the slits of the vent, Japan watched as dozens and dozens of his corrupted people wander around the lobby of the huge building. They all were hurrying around, some carrying missiles, a few others with ammunition, and several with scraps of metal. What were they doing with metal? Building something?

But that wasn't it.

Japan, Thailand, Greece, and Taiwan were roughly fifty feet above them, right above a huge chandelier. Japan's stomach sank. Why did they have to be so high up. He didn't mind heights, but he wondered if Thailand, Greece, and Taiwan were fine with it. No, scratch that; he wondered if Taiwan would. He knew Thailand and Greece probably wouldn't mind.

"Japan?" Taiwan asked again.

"Yes?"

"What's the matter?"

Japan hesitated.

"Japan?" Greece asked.

"Nothing is wrong."

Silence.

"Something is wrong, ana." Thailand murmured.

Japan glanced behind his shoulder. "Nothing is wrong. Not at the momen-"

But Thailand stopped him. "No, listen, ana. Something is wrong."

Japan, Greece, and Taiwan stayed silent to listen to what Thailand had supposedly heard. At first, it was nothing but the distant sound of Japan's corrupted people moving about below them. Then, for some reason, Japan heard tiny squeaks coming closer and closer. Hundreds of tiny little _pit pats_ rumbled from behind.

Taiwan shrieked, causing Japan, Thailand, and Greece to jump, hitting their heads on the top of the air vent. "Rats!" Taiwan gasped, crawling forward to avoid the rats stampeding towards them.

"Taiwan, don't push me..." Greece grimaced as she pushed him towards Thailand, who was then pushed to Japan.

Japan tried to move forward as quickly as possible but Taiwan and the other two were practically on top of him in a tight-fitting pile. It hindered their movements and they couldn't go anywhere. Japan felt shivers go up his spine as multiple tiny little animals climbed over his legs and back. He jerked one way and another way as two of the rats climbed into his shirt and up his bare back, their tiny little paws digging into his skin.

"They're everywhere." Taiwan said, kicking at them.

"Ah, that's my foot." Greece said quickly, moving his feet away.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, Greece!"

"Everyone, be quiet!" Japan said hastily, but he knew it was futile. The noise they were making definitely made their presence known. It would be a miracle if they weren't heard. That or the doppelgangers and the corrupted people were deaf.

Taiwan and Greece's hasty cries stopped when they heard metal creaking. Japan glanced at Thailand, who was closer to him, and they both exchanged wide eyed looks. Japan had a feeling that he should tell them they were fifty feet up, but he never really got the chance to.

The vent snapped below them and Japan felt that horrifying light feeling in his chest as they dropped from the ceiling and into the wide, open lobby.

Maybe it was instinct, maybe it was adrenaline. Whatever it was, Japan was grateful that something made him reach out and grab a hold of the chandelier. With both hands, he grabbed one of the boughs and felt it swing as he held on.

Thailand managed to grab a hold of Japan's foot, making the chandelier jerk again, but it held them. Then Greece grabbed Thailand's hand with his right and Taiwan's with the left.

If the chain that held the chandelier up was breaking, it didn't give it away. Japan breathed a sigh of relief that the four of them had successfully preventing themselves from falling to a rather painful situation. As they swung on the chandelier, the rats rained in the lobby, pelting the doppelgangers and the corrupted people in the lobby.

* * *

><p>"Did you, like, hear that?" Hong Kong asked Korea, who was in front of him.<p>

"I heard that too." Seychelles said thoughtfully. "It sounded like a crash."

Korea laughed. "Ah, it's probably Japan, da-ze. You know how he is."

"Isn't he supposed to be silent?" Seychelles asked. "Like how ninjas are?"

"Ha, that's all just movies, da-ze."

* * *

><p>"Japan, what do we do now?" Greece called up as the doppelgangers below them watched with hungry eyes.<p>

Japan's hands were slipping, and he truly had no idea. Climbing back up wasn't an option. The vent had a gaping hole in it now, and even if they could get back up there on the single chain that supported the only thing they could hang onto, they wouldn't be able to climb back in with a hole that size.

Looking down, Japan ruled out an option they could never take; dropping. Sure the doppelgangers wouldn't want to kill them if it kills themselves as well, but being a country, Japan knew that they wouldn't die from the drop. They'd be a broken heap of bones and flesh, and that would make the doppelganger's job of locking them up easier.

"Where's Korea when you need him?" Taiwan groaned.

Japan pursed his lips nervously. "Everyone. Can you try to climb up and grab a hold of the chandelier itself? I don't think I can hold all of our weights any longer."

But when they made an attempt to climb up the human/country rope, it only made Japan's grip slacken and for a split second, he thought they'd all fall.

"Never mind, never mind." Japan gasped quickly before they could truly loosen his grasp completely. "That won't work."

Silence. No one tried to move because if they did, it would only make the chandelier swing; that would make Japan's hands slippery and they'd free fall into the hands of the enemy.

After a long agonizing five minutes, Japan's arms felt so numb that he lost feeling in them completely. On the bright side, he would no longer feel the pain in his arms if they happened to fall. Then again, the shock of the impact would bring all feeling back, and then the pain would overwhelm him.

A sudden banging noise nearly caused him to slip anyway. As Japan, Thailand, Greece, and Taiwan glanced down at the doors from the left side of the lobby bursting open...

With Korea, Hong Kong, and Seychelles riding on a hotel luggage carrier.

"What's up everyone? We're here to crash the party, da-ze!" Korea yelled energetically as he stood at the front, pointing to the air dramatically.

Hong Kong and Seychelles were clinging to the poles on the left and right respectively, whacking away doppelgangers and corrupted people alike with umbrellas. They pushed off with their feet to keep the luggage carrier moving.

"You're hitting my people!" Japan called in alarm. "Don't harm them!"

"They're corrupted!" Korea said pointedly, running a few of them over (to Japan's dismay). "Not my fault they can't get out of the way in time, da-ze."

"We can use some help whacking." Hong Kong said to Korea as he gave a hard whack on a woman's head ("That's my boss's wife!" Japan exclaimed, distraught).

The luggage carrier stopped on the outside of the chandelier's perimeter and the three leapt off before the doppelgangers could get to them. They weaved in and out of the crowd, towards the stairs that led up to a long balcony-type floor that overlooked the lobby. As they reached the floor, Korea shouted, "Go find a room that's in charge of lowering and raising the chandelier! They have to get it down somehow to clean it right, da-ze?"

Hong Kong and Seychelles ran past him as Korea climbed onto top of the railing, a mischievous gleam flashing in his eyes.

"What are you _doing_?" Taiwan gasped as Korea jumped from the balcony, catching onto Taiwan's foot.

"Stop moving, da-ze! Japan will drop us!" Korea scolded her playfully.

He climbed up Taiwan, up Greece, up Thailand, and up Japan, who exclaimed in horror, "Climbing everyone was dangerous! We tried that earlier and I nearly let go!"

"Well you didn't this time." Korea grinned. "I'm here to help!"

"How?"

Korea froze and looked down. "Uh oh. Da-ze."

"Uh oh is correct." Japan said irritably. "You didn't think this through?"

Korea scratched his head. "Well, America says the best type of plan is one you make up as you go, da-ze." Then he stopped and said brightly, "Why don't you just swing the chandelier and have Taiwan drop onto that floor I just jumped from?"

"If I swing, I'd lose my grip. My hands are sweaty, I feel like I can't move, and I haven't in the last few minutes." Japan said uncomfortably.

"Japan, ana." Thailand said, his voice rising to an alarmed tone. "The doppelgangers are about to jump like Korea, ana."

Japan and Korea followed Thailand's gaze towards the balcony-type floor and groaned. Dark Samoa and Dark Laos were already climbing onto the rails, preparing to leap onto the chain.

"Here, stay where you are, da-ze" Korea said quickly, climbing back down Japan.

"I can't go anywhere in the first place." Japan said, but he felt his grip slipping. His hands were wet with sweat and he prepared for the free fall he thought was inevitable.

"Up you go!" Korea was saying. Some of the weight disappeared from Japan and he glanced to the side as Taiwan gave him a weary smile.

"Wh-" Japan started to say but he was cut off when Korea started to climb back up him.

"Make way Taiwan, we need to get Greece up here. Move over, da-ze." Korea said seriously.

Taiwan swung herself to the next bough of the chandelier like she was on a set of monkey bars; Greece took her place on Japan's right.

"Come on up Thailand, da-ze!" Korea said cheerfully, holding out a hand to him as he held onto Japan's back.

Thailand climbed up with Korea and swung himself to the right. Then Korea followed after him, thus equalizing the weight around the chandelier and balancing it out so that it wasn't tipping to one side anymore, making it near impossible for the doppelgangers to reach them.

"Hahaha!" Korea laughed at the doppelgangers' sour expression. "What are you going to do now, da-ze?"

Japan felt that it was safe to adjust himself and he did. Now that everyone was clinging on their own, he had to find a way to get them down and away.

And that's when the chandelier started to lower.

"Hong Kong and Seychelles found it!" Korea exclaimed. "I knew there's got to be a room that controlled the chandelier. Huh, I wonder if we'll be low enough to jump off, da-ze."

"If we are then my people can get to us." Japan said pointedly.

"Oh yeah. I wonder, da-ze." Korea said pensively.

The chandelier lowered just high enough for them to jump down and suffer only a small brief pain in their legs but it was low enough where the corrupted people could get to them.

"They're coming, what do we do?" Taiwan asked nervously. "If we jump and make a run for it, we'll never make it!"

"Can we climb to the top of this thing?" Greece asked, swinging his legs. He made the chandelier rock a little, and it knocked into a few of the corrupted people, causing them to stagger backwards in alarm.

"Ana, I know what to do!" Thailand said suddenly. "Swing the chandelier like a wrecking ball, ana! We'll knock the people and the doppelgangers away!"

Before Japan could protest, Korea said, "Great idea, Thailand! See, I told you plans that we make up on the go is the best, da-ze. Start swing my way everyone!"

And so the chandelier swung; easily and softly at first, but then the kinetic energy took over and the 'wrecking ball' swooped down across the lobby. Everyone clung to the boughs of the chandelier once kinetic energy took over, and every time they hit the corrupted people, Japan would hastily call out, "Sorry! I'm so sorry-oh no, I'm terribly sorry. Sorry, sorry, I apologize. I wish I were dead!"

"Do you really?" Greece asked, surprised.

"Ah, no. It's an expression we use." Japan said, reddening.

Whenever the 'wrecking ball' would slow, they'd start hanging by their hands again and swing around until it started to pick up where it left off. Several glass shattered all over the lobby floor and there were many times where the doppelgangers would actually fail to stop them.

Hong Kong and Seychelles had returned from the chandelier control room ("Or whatever it's called, da-ze" Korea shrugged.) and they'd jump onto the chandelier when it was time.

"Hi guys." Seychelles greeted.

"Hi Seychelles." Taiwan greeted back. "Hi Hong Kong."

"How long are we to, like, keep this up?" Hong Kong asked as they swoop back down across the room.

Korea examined the room as they swung by the corrupted people, trying to pick themselves off their feet. "When they're all knocked out, da-ze." he said cheerfully.


	52. The Omsk Hideout: Part I

"It's not really this cold around here." Russia murmured into his scarf, watching his team freeze nearly half to death.

"I-I don't remember this c-city being this c-cold..." Lithuania breathed, his teeth chattering as he wrapped his arms around himself.

Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia, Poland, and North Korea stood in a semi circle in the ankle deep snow that covered the wide street. Cold, harsh wind threatened to freeze their ears and limbs off and the bitter snow storm hindered their range of vision; not one of them could see more than twenty feet.

"Russia, this city has never seen this type of weather before, has it?" Ukraine asked in a small voice, burrowing her head into her own scarf.

Russia shook his head. "Not that I know of. It's usually very nice here."

North Korea scowled at the snow adorning his hair. Brushing the flakes off was futile because many more would take the others' places. "If the weather is this horrible then go to this hideout place at once." he said harshly. "I can not stand this weather."

North Korea sent a menacing glare towards Belarus as she made a reach for him, her silver blade popping out of her sleeve. Ukraine held her back and said warmly, "Why don't we stop fighting, okay? We should go to the hideout right now. If we stay any longer, we'll only be wasting time."

Trudging through the snow made Lithuania worry. If doppelgangers were lurking around, even in this sort of storm, they would definitely see the obvious tracks and trails they left. They didn't have the time to go back and erase their footprints, and even if they did they didn't have the tools to do so.

"It's totally all or nothing, Liet." Poland said pointedly, shrugging as if worrying over tracks was the silliest thing in the world. "It doesn't matter if they're there or like, totally not."

For once, Lithuania felt that Poland had made a decent point. This was the final battle, and even though that there was a tiny, microscopic chance of no fighting at all, there was bound to be bloodshed.

Dark Russia. Just simply 'Russia' was scary enough, but add the word 'Dark' in it and it would send him cowering underneath the bedsheets of his cozy home. When was the last time Lithuania had been home anyway? He felt more at ease when other countries were with him during this doppelganger ordeal, but he was homesick and missed it. Even paperwork; oh how he longed to read through documents and sign things with his favorite ball-point pen.

It was better than chasing after doppelgangers, that's for sure.

The storm was worse as they neared the hideout location. Even Russia started to shudder a little. "Bundle up everyone." Ukraine reminded them.

"What?" Estonia squinted in her direction, wiping the flecks of snow and water from his glasses.

"I said, bundle up everyone!"

The wind was deafening, and they could barely made out her voice. But even if they didn't make out her words, they pulled their hoods down a little lower, tightened their scarfs even more, blew desperate warm bursts of breath into their gloved hands, and covered their bare, paling face with the warmed up gloves before the warmth seeped away into a gray air.

Russia watched while North Korea sulked as Ukraine pulled him closer to the group for warmth. As the team sent nervous smiles to a still sulking North Korea, Russia had a bad feeling deep inside of him. There were some places where a storm like this was typical. He wouldn't have worried if they were further north. However, Omsk wasn't up north. Omsk was in the south.

There were a few times where Russia had seen a snowstorm this bad in less-typical places, and usually he saw them during invasions and wars. He knew all too well that the weather wasn't natural; he had a bad feeling that his doppelganger, Dark Russia, had manipulated General Winter.

"And I thought he was one of my only true allies..." Russia whispered to himself, but the whisper was lost into a howls of the frosty wind.

They continued on, making their slow way through the white, pure snow. The snow had this unusual fragile look; it seemed to be the softest, the whitest, sheer beautiful sheet of snow. If it were not for the storm, the city would have been beautifully decorated by a rare sensation, even though it was late May.

It seemed very wrong for the innocent white snow to be present in such an inconvenient city, especially since the city was a hideout to the doppelgangers under Dark Russia's control.

Belarus stopped all of a sudden, her silvery blonde hair whipping the air as she turned her head to look back. Russia noticed her ceased pace and stopped the team, looking back at her curiously.

"Big brother..." Belarus said loudly over the wind.

Russia didn't need to hear what she had to say; he knew. The doppelgangers had found them.

"What do we do?" asked Estonia uncertainly, shooting looks of mixed fear and suspicion down the street and into the alleys.

"Stop panicking and think." North Korea snapped. He shot his head towards Belarus and demanded, "How many?"

Belarus narrowed her eyes. "One."

North Korea harrumphed to himself. "Only one? This is nothing to worry about. Let's continue."

"Don't underestimate them." Lithuania warned. "They've been keeping us on our toes for the last past month. Exactly one month...it started on April twenty-fourth and it's May tw-"

"Alright, we get it." North Korea interrupted him. "But with this many people I doubt we'd have trouble with on-"

A powerful blast of air knocked them backwards, colliding into streetlamps, benches, trees, and buildings. Russia gritted his teeth as his back slammed into a thick tree. He had heard sudden yelps of surprise as his teammates pass him as they were being pushed away. In the distance, past the pelting snow, he made out a silvery outline of General Winter.

"That's totally cool!" Poland exclaimed as he hung onto a streetlamp to prevent himself from flying down the street again. "It would be cooler if he was pink though..."

"That's no time to be thinking about that!" Lithuania cried, crouching down behind a bench to keep his balance.

"Are you sure you saw a doppelganger, Belarus?" Ukraine called to her, clinging onto another streetlamp.

Belarus growled, "I'm sure of it, now shut up!"

Russia fixed his gaze on who he thought was his ally. A rush of sorrow and betrayal caused him to give General Winter a melancholy look, but General Winter's apathetic expression didn't change.

It was as if he didn't acknowledge Russia.

"You've tormented me..." Russia murmured. "And yet you protect me...and here you are against me."

Looking past General Winter, Russia's eyes narrowed and he suddenly smiled to himself. "At last." he whispered, but this whisper too carried into the air, a lost sound that never reached the others.

* * *

><p>Estonia made his way towards Lithuania, staying low. Lithuania shifted to the left to make room for Estonia and they both stayed behind the bench, somewhat sheltered. "What's going on? Can you see anything from here?" Estonia asked him.<p>

Lithuania shook his head slowly. "I can't see a thing. I lost track of everyone."

The two watched the street, one half covered by a translucent cloak of snow and the other half lost in the storm.

* * *

><p>Ukraine eventually reached Belarus in an alleyway; Belarus kept on peering out from the building she hid behind and her eyes followed Ukraine's movements for a while as Ukraine took refuge behind her. "Where is Russia?" Belarus asked quietly.<p>

Ukraine pursed her lips nervously. "I really don't know." she answered softly.

Belarus adverted her eyes from Ukraine and then peered back out. Nothing; absolutely nothing.

"We'll have to wait and see what happens." Ukraine said, hugging herself to keep warm.

Belarus looked over her older sister for a while, and then she sighed. Ukraine glanced up at Belarus in surprise as she hugged her tightly, burrowing her head into her chest. "I want Russia." Belarus said bluntly, but softly.

Ukraine held back happy tears; it had been years and years since Belarus hugged her. She placed a comforting hand on top of her head and said gently, "He'll be safe. I know he will."

She glanced up as the wind died nearly at once. The snow slowed down its fall and danced their way down slowly. The storm had died in a second.

Belarus left Ukraine at once and hurried to the end of the alleyway to look out. Then she took off running with Ukraine on her tail. The two ran towards Russia, who had his back turned on them. As the two countries ran out of their shelter, Lithuania and Estonia found Poland and North Korea in another alleyway with North Korea threatening Poland with rockets and missiles and Poland threatening to make Warsaw his capitol.

"Ah, please ignore him." Lithuania said hastily, dragging Poland away from North Korea.

North Korea gave Poland one last cold look before walking past them briskly. "The storm has died." North Korea said in a business-like tone. "Something happened. Let's go."

The three followed him down the street in the direction they had came in. The massive wind had erased their tracks from earlier but they spotted two pairs on the right side of the road. North Korea stopped to inspect them but his analysis was brief and quick before he came up with a conclusion.

"These footprints indicate that their owners have been running." North Korea said. "These are obviously new; they appeared after the storm died. We're the only ones around here as far as we know. Ukraine and Belarus aren't here; these must be theirs. They're too small to be Russia's."

"You're very clever." Lithuania said, following the footprints.

North Korea stared after him. "Thank you..." he said uncertainly. He and the others followed Lithuania up the road. Though the storm was gone and their range of vision had been extended, they still couldn't see too far. According to North Korea, their range of vision started at twenty feet to five feet and then thirty feet.

"There they are." Estonia said when three figures came into view. They ran towards the, kicking up snow.

Ukraine and Belarus turned their heads to watch them approach. North Korea was right. Their tracks were very fresh; no older than a minute. The two sisters were still catching their breath when they arrived.

"I'm so glad everyone is okay." Ukraine sighed with relief.

"Hmph. Just as long as they don't die on Russia." Belarus said.

North Korea joined Russia's side, looking ahead at General Winter. "He's the one responsible of this?" North Korea murmured. "So that's how you do it."

"Do what?" Russia asked calmly, although he knew that North Korea meant how he had kept many armies at bay whenever they tried to invade on his land.

North Korea figured that much out and didn't answer. He looked past General Winter and narrowed his eyes. "Your doppelganger is here."

"I know."

"He isn't doing anything."

"I know."

North Korea was quiet for a while. Then after a few pensive seconds, he said, "He must be waiting to see what we'd do."

"I know."

"What do you have in mind?"

Silence.

"Russia?"

Silence.

North Korea sent the Russian man a hard look. "Don't tell me you have no plan. I've been told by Germany that everyone had a whole day to think of one."

Silence.

North Korea cursed under his breath.

"No." Russia said.

North Korea stopped mid-curse. "No what?"

Russia took his eyes off of Dark Russia and glued them on North Korea. "He isn't waiting for us. He's already made his move."

Before North Korea could demand what the move was, he felt his feet harden. North Korea looked down as the snow around his feet hardened into ice. He tried to pull his feet out but to no avail. The snow stuck in the crevices of his clothes also turned into ice, and it kept him still. He couldn't move.

Russia and the others couldn't either; they were trapped.

"The whole city is a giant cage." Estonia murmured. "And we walked right into it."

"Well, we drove into it actually." Poland said pointedly.

"That's not the point though..."

Belarus tugged at her limbs but when she couldn't free herself, she started to curse wildly. General Winter and Dark Russia were unfazed by her profanity; they didn't even glance at her. As Dark Russia slowly walked forward to join General Winter by his side, Russia watched his doppelganger with a gleam of interest.

As far as he knew, General Winter couldn't harm people who were used to cold temperatures. This was a first, and it was his doppelganger (most likely) that had managed to keep even Russia glued to the ground.

Dark Russia was a near fifteen feet away and yet the countries other than Russia, North Korea, and Belarus, cringed and looked away. Something about him was unbelievably bloodcurdling.

Dark Russia smiled at them, but like the real Russia, the smile was not a warm one. His smile provoked even a small grimace from North Korea and Belarus. In his hand he held a rusty pipe, one identical to Russia's only the pipe itself was pitch black. Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be more bloodstains on the metal surface as well.

"I'm very glad to have visitors." Dark Russia said sweetly, cocking his head. "Are you seven here to play with me? It's been so lonely..."

His voice sent shills up everyone's spine, except Russia.

"Hello." Russia greeted his doppelganger with the same frightening smile. "No, we're not here to play. We're here to stop you."

Dark Russia's smile widened. "Oh? That's sad. It's not nice to stop people."

"It's not nice to kidnap countries and kill the majority of the world either." Russia's smile widened.

"I like how you think, Russia." Dark Russia said pleasantly. "You're smart."

Russia beamed. "I'm glad to hear it."

"So what will you be doing here? It's very cold here. I think it would be better if you come with me to a warmer place."

"No thank you. We have work to do, and our objective is to destroy the Omsk Hideout, destroy or disable the weapons, and to disable you and the other doppelgangers."

Dark Russia frowned in confusion. "Doppelgangers?"

"You are a doppelganger."

Dark Russia blinked. Then he laughed lightly. "Oh! You mean hatred! Do you call us Doppelgangers? I'm happy to hear that we're that special to have a nickname."

Russia nodded, laughing as well. "Yes. It's a nice name, isn't it?"

"Very nice." Dark Russia agreed. He took a step forward and hesitated a little as the countries behind Russia cringed. "They look scared. Are they not happy to see me?"

"No. They're scared. And they have a reason."

"Oh? And what is it?"

Russia's wide smile transformed into a cold beam. "Because you will harm us, and you will try to prevent us from succeeding."

"'Try'? Why do you put that word in there?" Dark Russia asked, imitating Russia's cold beam.

The other countries felt a sudden tension that strike fear into them. Even North Korea and Belarus gave the back of Russia's head a warning look.

Russia ignored their looks and answered calmly, quietly, "Because we will stop you, and you will go away."

Dark Russia's cold beam changed to a cold glare. Russia's expression didn't change; he never faltered even under his doppelganger's malevolent expression.

"I doubt that will happen." Dark Russia whispered, and this time, the wind didn't obscure a whisper.

Russia saw the black pipe coming but there was nothing he could do about it, and he knew it. The pipe came at a ferocious speed, catching him in the stomach. Russia felt his feet lift out of the ice painfully. He heard screams as he flew past his teammates' heads. He saw in those few brief seconds his bright red blood flinging into the air, showering himself and his teammates in a scarlet rain. And he landed in the snow, the soft, white snow, and stared at the gray sky.

"RUSSIA!"

Russia heard Belarus scream his name. He expected a string of curses from her, but he was gifted by an unexpected sob. "R-Russia..."

"He'll be okay, Belarus. Shhh..." Ukraine's voice shook in the distance.

"I couldn't protect him!" Belarus screamed shrilly. "He'll pay...Why isn't Big Brother getting up? Why isn't he stirring at my voice? That bastard will pay...I'll cut the son of a bitch up to pieces and shreds!"

"Will you be quiet?" North Korea snapped at her. "You can't do anything. Talking like that won't do anything. We're stuck here, and that doppelganger is heading towards Russia right now, and you're just standing there crying. Be quiet. Crying is useless."

Dark Russia was heading towards him right now? Russia didn't hear any footsteps. But then again, his hearing seemed to have left him in the middle of North Korea's scolding. He barely caught the last half.

Then Russia stared up, not at the sky, but at Dark Russia's face. Dark Russia's two red eyes glowered with crazed excitement, and Russia had a bad feeling he was in for more.

"Still awake are you?" Dark Russia asked softly, returning back to his innocent-like manner. "Why don't you stand up? Here, I'll help you."

He held out a hand to Russia. Russia knew better than to accept a hand from an enemy, but something made him do it; he was in a daze, and by the time he grabbed Dark Russia's hand and pulled himself up, he found himself thrown into the snow again, several feet away from where he was.

His blood flowed freely into the snow, but Russia barely felt the pain. There was no time to do that. He calmly picked himself back up, wiped the blood from his chin with the back of his gloved hand, and watched as Dark Russia lunged after him.

As the black pipe swung back down again, Russia ducked underneath it and grabbed his own pipe he had strapped to his waist. He caught Dark Russia's pipe at the hook and yanked at it. Dark Russia's grip was tight and it barely budged.

Instead, Dark Russia yanked back and Russia's pipe slipped out of his hand after the third yank. Gloves made things harder to grab onto. Russia responded by throwing his gloves onto the ground, waiting for Dark Russia to make his move.

Dark Russia swung his pipe again, but since Russia's pipe was still hooked onto the black one, Dark Russia had a longer range. Russia retracted his arm as the pipes broke his fingers. Russia stepped away calmly as the pipes collided into his head. He reached up at the blood flowing from the wound, running down the left side of his head.

Russia heard the others shout, but he didn't pay any attention to them. He calmly took the beating, and every time his blood would spill, his grin would grow.

He was terribly battered and bruised when Dark Russia decided to stop. The white snow around them was no more; they were standing in crimson snow. Somehow, it was more suitable for the atmosphere. The white snow was too gentle, too pure. The red snow was more vibrant. More fitting.

It was correct.

"Why are you not fighting back?" Dark Russia asked, blood dripping down from his hands, but it wasn't his own blood.

Russia smiled gently. "I'm waiting."

"For what?"

"For you to be done."

Dark Russia's face darkened considerably. Bitter wind blew over them and their scarves, now stained with the same red that stained the snow, fluttered. "What do you mean?"

No reply. Russia took the opening and lunged to Dark Russia's side, snatching the pipes out of his hand.

During the time where Dark Russia had brutally spilled his blood, Russia had to use quite a bit of effort to keep a calm smile on his face. To be honest, he had to use everything he had to keep his enraged fury in.

He had the weapons now. It was about time to unleash the violence that hid underneath his mask.

But he had to stop and think to himself, _What mask?_

A new shower of red rain started, and if it was possible, it was even more savage than before. Blood splattered onto the snow, it splattered onto the frosty window, it stained the trees, the bricks, themselves, and the rest of Team Three.

It was short-lived; it lasted five full seconds, but that was enough time for Russia to get his revenge back.

General Winter interrupted Russia and created a thick layer of wind and snow; a new snowstorm generated in the blink of an eye. Their range of vision was reduced to two feet.

"Coward." North Korea spat.

"That may be, but doppelgangers disregard any sense of honor in order to get what they want." Estonia said softly.

North Korea spat again.

He, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus waited silently in the storm, the storm that erased all the traces of the crimson snow and replaced it back with the pure white.


	53. Los Angeles and Omsk: Part II

America and Cameroon started searching at the northern-most side of the warehouses. There were quite a bit of them, and getting to the north edge of the lot was more troublesome than they would have preferred.

Often times, they'd crouch down behind heavy boxes that were stacked upon each other to hide themselves from the doppelgangers that passed by. What were in the boxes, America had to try to suppress his curiosity.

It didn't work; America took the risk to peer inside.

"That's a lot of ammo." he whistled lowly. "Probably for the corrupted. Hey." America glanced at Cameroon, his blue eyes gleaming. "The Corrupted. Cool name for them, right?"

"There's no time to be thinking about nicknames." Cameroon whispered. He shot a look to the left, one to the right, and one behind them. Then he slipped away to the next warehouse with America trailing after him.

When they made it north, they couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief, whether mentally or physically. America patted himself on the back, saying, "We sure showed those doppelgangers, right? I didn't think we'd actually make it here without a fight."

"I wonder how the others are doing." Cameroon muttered. "I don't hear any commotion, so they must be okay."

They stood with their backs pressed against the wall of the first warehouse, thinking, waiting, watching, listening. The air was still, and though normally it would have been a good thing, it only made the two feel suspicious. America murmured how nerve-wrecking it was before Cameroon snuck off to find a side door.

The warehouses were all identical in structure, and so finding the side door was one of the easiest things to do. Before Cameroon opened the door, America radioed in and asked if the power was still off, which it was in some places.

"What do you mean 'some'?" America asked.

"Sir, these doppelgangers you're fighting have fixed some wires. Some of the warehouses have power, some don't. For now." the man's voice said from the walkie-talkie.

For now. That was what he said. America glanced at Cameroon and they shared a telepathic conversation, with America's expression inquiring if they'd risk going in and Cameroon's expression telling him that they had to go in anyway.

So Cameroon slowly turned the door knob and gently swung the door open.

The warehouse was a little humid; it was dim due to the lack of lighting and the sunlight streaming in from the high windows from above only lit up certain places. America felt uneasy whenever he found himself in a darkened part of the warehouse; it was as if anything could tackle him and take him down right there without him having the time to react.

America jumped as something bumped into something, producing a loud metallic crash followed by a low moan. America latched onto Cameroon's arm, shaking. "W-what was that, dude?"

Cameroon stared at the direction of the noise, thinking.

"What if it's a ghost? Holy crap, I'm not ready for this. Let's go back outside, okay? Dude? Dude?" America shook Cameroon's arm urgently, sending wild, bewildered looks around them.

"It's no ghost." Cameroon said as the low moan became a small mumbling of jumbled words. He jerked his arm away from America's iron grip and followed the noise curiously as America hastily followed him, not wanting to be left alone in the haunted warehouse.

Only, it wasn't haunted. Cameroon was right. They weren't hearing ghosts. They were hearing Romano bumping his head on something once he found out that the real America and Cameroon were there.

"Mmmm!" Romano gave them a pleading look as they approached him. He was chained to the wall by the ankles and his hands were tied behind him. He was gagged with a cloth and he seemed desperate to get it off.

"They like to gag people, don't they?" America mused as Cameroon untied the cloth.

"No shit." Romano spat. "Now free me."

* * *

><p>It was five when Team Two, including the newest member Romano, met up again. America listened to his team with a grim face when they relayed information back to him. There were several weapons, both heavy and light, in nearly every single warehouse, and according to Mexico, he spotted tanks rolling down the streets in the distance.<p>

"What? Where did they get tanks from?" America exclaimed. He lifted his walkie-talkie to his mouth and asked, "Did you guys even take account for our weapons and supplies?"

"Sir, I'm not in charge of that. I can't give you the answer you want."

America groaned to himself. He had a feeling that he should have told someone to look after the weapons of mass destruction. He hoped that it didn't make a big difference if he did or not, but chances were that it did.

The team watched America for a while before they switched their attention to Sweden. They crouched in the shadows, behind boxes of ammunition. The sun was setting and within a few hours it would be dark enough for them to move freely. They had the time to spare, unlike some of the other teams.

After a silent moment or two, the team realized that it was a good thing that they had time on their hands if they had a captain like America.

"Okay, okay, let me think. I'm still thinking. Hang on everyone..." America contorted his face into a frown, staring at his shoes as he thought. "I got it...I got it...I don't got it...no, wait, I got it-oh wait, that won't work...right?"

"How would we know?" Cuba groaned. "We don't know what you're thinking."

"Since when did we ever?" Mexico muttered.

Sweden's eyes flickered to the side and those who were watching him followed his gaze in alarm. They sighed in relief when there were no signs of a doppelganger's presence. They shot a curious glance his way, wondering what was going on in his head as well as America's.

"We need shelter. It's dangerous staying here." Sweden said monotonously. He stood up and swept the intersection with careful eyes before walking to the side door.

America did a double take as Sweden left the temporary safety of the box fort and watched as Sweden peered inside the warehouse. Sweden immediately closed the door as quietly as possible and quickly made his way to another warehouse.

The moment it looked like he was turning a corner and out of their sight, they sprung up and followed him hastily, not wanting to lose track of their co-captain.

Sweden found them a warehouse free of doppelgangers and led them up a pair of stairs that led them to a walkway that circled the insides of the warehouse twenty feet from the ground. They took shelter at the first corner they approached and moved spare boxes and chairs around to act as a barrier and wall.

"This is kind of flimsy." Canada said quietly as he propped up a chair that refused to stay up.

"Hey, it's not bad for people who have limited resources." America reminded him with a small finger wag. "And besides, it's only for a while. We just need time to think."

"What is there to think about?" Romano scowled. "Can't we just the the hell out of here and forget this shit? Can't we go back to that potato bastard's place and stay there?"

"Can someone please tell him what's going on?" Cameroon sighed wearily, sitting down with his knees pulled up, leaning his head forward. "I don't feel like explaining."

"Explain what?" Romano asked.

"Oh it's no big deal." America said casually, peeling off tape from the boxes to use it for Canada's chair problem. "The doppelgangers have an army of themselves and The Corrupted-they're our people who got infected by the hatred's...well, hate. Anyway, they're planning to destroy the majority of humanity. Why majority and not all? Because they want to take over and they can't if everyone's dead because we all know that a country has to have a government and people to be a country.

Without a country, they can't survive. If we're gone, then our hate is gone too so they won't exist. Kinda complicated but it makes sense if you think about it. So um, yeah. They attack today-well, May 24th. It's still the 23rd here in my house but everyone else should be on the 24th, right?" America glanced at Sweden for confirmation.

As Sweden nodded curtly, Romano stared at America. "So then...what the hell are we supposed to be doing?"

"Oh we're just here to disable the weapons, defeat the doppelgangers, and hope that the others did too." America said, giving Romano a thumbs up. "So far we have...how many warehouses held weapons again?"

"Forty-seven." Sweden said.

"Out of?"

"Forty-nine."

"What he said." America jabbed a thumb towards him.

Romano was silent for a while. Then he crossed his arms and muttered, "No one told me it was going to be this hard being a country...the hell, I want my money back. This wasn't in the job description."

"I'm not even a country, I'm a micronation." Molossia groaned. "What am I doing here?"

Mexico laughed. "You can thank Sealand for that, amigo. But even if Sealand didn't bring you here, I bet Germany would include you at this point. We need all the help we can get, you know? Either way, you'd still be here. You too Romano."

Romano and Molossia groaned.

* * *

><p>Team Three shuddered in the blizzard, teeth chattering, limbs stiff and frozen, hair touched by an unhealthy frost. North Korea could barely make out anything in front of him; he could barely even see the rest of the team. Was that Lithuania, or Poland? He couldn't even distinguish the silhouette.<p>

Then there was Russia and Dark Russia. North Korea had kept track of their wounds, and to his surprise, the doppelgangers heal at once. How come no one told him this? Or maybe they did but he was in denial and refused to keep an open ear.

_I suddenly regret not listening to half of what Germany said. _North Korea thought bitterly. _That information would be useful._

From what he knew, Russia suffered from a broken left hand, possibly a concussion on the left side of his head, possible broken ribs, several bruises, and plenty of cuts.

"Not to mention frostbite." North Korea muttered to himself, shuddering. "But we all have it by this point. Damn..."

He couldn't leave the other countries there to freeze, and he couldn't leave himself there to freeze either. If anything happened, he'd blame Germany. No, he'd blame China and his brother. No, he'd blame China, Korea, _and_ Germany. If they left him alone, he'd be in his favorite armchair reading in his marvelous library.

Oh how he longed for the warmth of his home.

He wasn't going to just give up and rely on Russia. North Korea had to take action, and take action he will.

North Korea wiggled his icy fingers from inside his stiff glove. Slowly, he broke away the ice that was wedged into the folds of the glove and flexed his hand, shaking free the ice fragments. He shot a quick look at General Winter but he was gone from where he last floated. Was that the right word? North Korea wasn't quite sure.

If he ever made it out alive and made it out not looking like a human/country popsicle, he'd have to ask Russia.

Nroth Korea squirmed and twisted in the ice cocoon. Keeping that up, he hoped that the little friction he made he could slowly weaken the ice and break out. How long that would take, he had no idea. But it was better to try something than to stand there.

He smiled to himself when he heard the first crack. Loosened snow fell as North Korea broke his left arm free of the ice. He let the slab of ice fall and he balled up his left fist, using it to smash the ice that kept his right arm in place.

"North, what are you doing?" Ukraine asked from behind.

Though North Korea couldn't see Ukraine, he knew that she was close enough to hear over the ferocious wind. "Freeing myself." he answered, though he doubted that his voice would reach her.

To his surprise, Ukraine must have good hearing. That or she was closer than he guessed. "Will you free the rest of us?" she asked timidly.

North Korea wondered if he should be offended by that. Did she take that he was going to leave them there and betray his honor? He decided not to, just for once.

"Of course." he sniffed. "I can't get much done without support."

Ukraine must have been satisfied with his answer because she stayed quiet for the rest of his escape.

The upper half of his body was free and he was rubbing away the ice from his pants. When feeling slightly returned to his legs, he hacked away at his feet.

"Free." he said to himself, stepping out of deep footprints he made. "Everyone, be quiet. I'll get you out."

"Get me out first." Belarus's voice said at once, sharply. "I need to help Russia! Get me out!"

"What did I just tell you?" North Korea asked icily. "No, I will not free you. You disobeyed me. Be quiet from now on and I may consider it. Who else is within my range?"

While Belarus started to curse at him, North Korea started to help Ukraine out. After she was free, they continued to the others, although Ukraine helped Belarus despite North Korea's disapproval.

"Where's Russia?" Estonia asked as North Korea and Poland helped him out. "I can't hear him."

North Korea shook his head. "I don't know, but we can't stay for long. If we stay, we'd get in the way. We'd be vulnerable to being used as hostages or worse."

"Are you saying that we leave him?" Belarus demanded, making her way to him.

North Korea eyed her silver knife pressing against his throat. Then his eyes flickered up to meet Belarus's gaze and said coldly, "Put that away."

"Not if we're leaving Big Brother." she hissed dangerously.

"Put that away."

"No."

They glared at each other for a while, neither one wanting to back down. Lithuania coughed nervously and said, "Why don't we split up? One half can stay with Russia, the other half can continue to the hideout."

"You idiot." North Korea scowled. "Splitting up is the last thing you want to do. We barely have numbers and we have no clue what we're about to encounter."

Belarus scowled. "No. We can split up. I'll stay here with Russia. Everyone else will go with you."

North Korea stared at her for a while. Then he snapped, "Fine. You'd only hinder our progress. Stay here if you wish. Everyone else, follow me." He turned away from Belarus and continued to walk into the storm, everyone else hurriedly following in fear if they lose him.

"Are you sure we should leave her there?" Ukraine asked nervously, looking back over her shoulder as they walked. Her constant 'throw-a-glance-over-her-shoulder-to-make-sure-Belarus-was-okay' made her bump into North Korea, and he'd often find himself bumped several steps forward.

"Stop looking back." he scowled at her. "You can't even see her anymore."

The farther they walked, the calmer the storm became. Before long, North Korea successfully led them out of the blizzard and through the streets.

"I wonder how Russia and Belarus are." Ukraine murmured.

"They'll be fine." Lithuania said, giving her a comforting smile.

Ukraine nodded and returned the smile. "I know." she whispered.


	54. Suzhou and Kawasaki: Part III

"Ooh, that's very good. Now the captain and co-captain of the enemy is gone, aru." China said excitedly, eyes gleaming with excitement.

The other half of the team joined him on the bridge with New Zealand and the Philippines with news that brought a grin to his face. Now that his doppelganger was tied up, they had the captain of the doppelganger's division taken care of. And the co-captain was still in Germany's basement.

"He won't stay tied there for long." Australia said, squinting towards the tree where Dark China's figure swung gently in the air. "He's a doppelganger. He's bound to escape somehow."

"But we bought ourselves time." Malaysia said wearily. "That's a good thing. The bad thing, when he escapes, he'll alert everyone, and then we'll have everyone after us."

"So let's stop talking and start looking!" the Philippines said hastily. "China thinks that there's some sort of hideout under the water."

China was staring out into the lake when she said that. When a silence followed her words, China glanced behind him to see what was going on, only to be greeted somewhat exasperatedly by skeptical looks. "It happened in Chicago, it can happen here too, aru." he said defensively.

The stares continued.

China crossed his arms and leaned back on the wooden rail. "Well does anyone else have a good idea about where this hideout might be, aru?"

That was when the eyes adverted and looked a different direction sheepishly. China nodded. "That's what I thought." Then he turned his head to look at the lake again. "Try looking for the entrance. Or if you wouldn't, try swimming and tell us what you see, aru."

Australia peered over the rails by China's side. "Are there any crocodiles or alligators in there?" he mused.

"No, aru." China said slowly.

Wy cocked her head at Australia for a while and then she face palmed herself. "New Zealand, can't you stop him?" Wy asked him as Australia shrugged off his backpack, kicking off his shoes.

New Zealand sighed to himself as Australia started to climb the over the rails, tossing his shirt onto his backpack. "Once his mind is made up, it's hard to convince him otherwise."

"No kidding." Wy said, crossing her arms in disapproval. "This isn't the time to go for a swim."

But China was supportive of Australia's enthusiasm. "We'll watch over your stuff, you can go find the entrance, aru." he was saying.

"Just wait for a little while. I'll be back." Australia said, grinning. He dipped a foot into the water cautiously, and then jumped in.

China and the Philippines, who were closer to the rails, stepped back from the water that splashed onto them. Australia's head popped up for a moment, floating in the water to remark how cold it was, and dipped back down.

The others cautiously made their way to the rail again, peering down. "Do you think he'll find it?" Malaysia asked, moving Australia's belongings away from the edge of the bridge.

"He has to, aru." China said. "If he doesn't, we're done."

* * *

><p>Australia knew from many challenges and just plain boredom that he could hold his breath for quite a long time. Two and a half minutes to three. Maybe three and a half minutes if he really tried.<p>

_Now if only the water is clearer. _Australia thought as he kicked through the water, propelling himself deeper into the lake. The water was somewhat of a faded green, and rocks in the distance were fuzzy. Blades of grass and leaves floated in the water as Australia swam on, turning his head to scan the lake.

Nothing to the left. Nothing to the right. Anything below him?

Australia tipped his head over and balanced himself to take a good look of the floor.

Nope.

The lake was smaller than he thought. When China said 'lake', he thought about wide open land surrounding a vast body of water. The 'lake' he was swimming in was more of a pond, but a rather big pond that possibly _could_ be called a lake.

A 'pondlake'? A 'lakepond'? A 'pake'? A 'lond'?

_Why am I thinking about names for this lake, pond thing when I should be looking? _Australia mused to himself. He would have let out a laugh but seeing that he was underwater, it would shorten his air supply considerably.

Speaking of air...

Australia paddled himself upwards, poked his head out of the water, took a big breath, and dipped back in.

The only way to look now was to go forward. That or venture to the sides a little more, but he felt that going forward would bring him better luck.

Eventually, the cold water grew onto him and he easily swam through the lake-pond-thing, no longer stiff from the drop in temperature. In fact, his swimming became more relaxed and free that he actually wondered how fast he could swim if he tried.

It would benefit both the team and him; the team would benefit by him searching faster, he'd benefit from that _and_ the extreme joy and fun he'd get out of it.

_Why not?_ Australia thought with a small grin. He propelled himself forward and performed small turns and twists to add in some more amusement.

Only, his fun ended promptly when he swam right into glass. The small collision made him grunt, precious air escaping his lungs. He was left short on air, and even though he believed he found something that was crucial, he had to swim back up and take a big breath.

_What did I swim into? _Australia thought as he dove deeper into the water. His hand brushed into the glass again and he landed on it, feeling around. The glass was domed shape apparently, because the glass was rounded on the top. Australia half-floated, half-climbed to the top of the glass dome and tried to look past the glass.

Nothing.

He stayed there for a while, wondering what to do from there on. A flash of light flickered on from inside the glass dome and he swam away in a hurry, only to return to see what was going on.

_Huh. Well what do you know? China was right after all._ Australia thought as he watched Dark India and Dark Thailand walk into the room below him. The room was circular, one to fit the dome ceiling, and the walls were lined with bookshelves. Australia wasn't sure why they were looking at books, but Dark Thailand pointed to a shelf and Dark India went over to take a few books from it.

Dark Thailand nodded and they both left, turning off the lights before they leave.

* * *

><p>Back at the bridge, China's reaction was triumphant and smug. "I told you, and you didn't listen, aru." he said to the others. "I knew there was one underground!"<p>

"Okay, okay, there's one underground." Vietnam said, sighing. "Australia, did you find a way in?"

Australia bobbed up and down in the water, nodding. "I did, but you gotta swim to get in." Australia had anticipated some complaining, but he never imagined that it would be so bad.

"Aiya, and get my clothes wet?" China groaned.

"In there? There aren't any seas monsters in there, are there? N-not that I'm scared." Wy said quickly, but she peered anxiously into the water as Australia pulled himself out of the water and onto the bridge.

"We can't use our guns if the gun powder is wet. There has to be another way." Malaysia murmured.

"If this is a hideout where they store loads of weapons, there has to be another way in so that the weapons don't get wet." the Philippines reasoned. "Um...do you think you can go find another way?" she asked Australia nervously.

Australia didn't mind at all. He grinned and said, "Don't worry about it. Another adventure, right? I'll be happy to find another way."

China glanced at his watch. "We don't have much time before the sun is high in the sky. We'll be able to stay hidden for a little while longer but when the sun's out we're easy targets, aru."

"I'll help him." Malaysia said, stripping down. "Hold this." He handed his gun over to New Zealand while kicking his shoes towards the Philippines. He handed over his backpack to Vietnam before climbing over the rails of the bridge to join Australia.

"What about your shirt, mate?" Australia asked.

Malaysia waved the concern away. "It's going to get wet anyway if we can't find another entrance. Come on, we better hurry."

Australia nodded and the two jumped off from the bridge, diving deeper into the water.

* * *

><p>"My arms hurt, Japan." Taiwan sighed as the chandelier swung back across the room.<p>

"Same here." Greece said. "There are a lot of people lying on the ground. Do you think it's safe to make a run for it now?"

Japan was silent. They've been a human/country wrecking ball for the last three minutes and by now, he was sure that someone was going to be alerted. He knew his doppelganger was back at Germany's but the co-captain of the doppelgangers in Kawasaki was still here. Dark Mongolia was sure to send people after him, and Japan knew that Mongolia used to have one of the largest empires of all time.

Maybe it _was_ the largest. Japan wasn't sure; it was so long ago and his memory was starting to fail on him.

"Japan, the last of them are down, da-ze."

Japan glanced at Korea as Korea hopped down, landing on a young man around the age of twenty-five. "Please don't use my people as landing pads." Japan said wearily, but the others have already let go of the chandelier before he could finish.

"Aha, sorry." Seychelles said to Japan as she landed on a woman.

"What she said." Hong Kong murmured, adjusting the glasses of a man he jumped on.

Japan looked around and saw that he was the only one hanging onto the chandelier. He dropped to an empty spot on the ground and scanned the lobby. He had a crazy urge to bow to the ground and apologize, and he probably would have done that if it weren't for the alarmed voices of countries.

"They're coming, ana!" Thailand said quickly. And he was right.

Hasty, echoing footsteps came from the halls on the left and the right. Shouts arose and they were getting closer, close to the point where Japan and the others could already see their shadows dancing along the walls.

"What do we do?" Taiwan asked nervously.

"Run." Japan said, and he made a run for the stairs, the others on his tail.

It was a matter of time when the doppelgangers would find the lobby littered with people that they felled by whacking them away with a chandelier. They'd be after them in no time; no, in fact, they probably already knew.

The rats in the vents...that wasn't an accident at all. Japan had a sinking, gnawing feeling in his stomach that the doppelgangers sent the rats up there on purpose.

"Which way now?" Greece asked when they got to the top of the stairs. They could either go to the left or they could go to the right.

Well, the right hall was closer and the doppelgangers from behind were nearly upon them anyway. Japan beckoned for everyone to follow him to the right. He ran with one hand gripping the hilt of his katana, glancing behind at the others. "Weapons out!"

As they ran along the hall, weaving in and out of more corrupted people and possibly doppelgangers, Japan tried to remember the room he marked out as the most likely to be the control center. He couldn't exactly remember where it was so he told Korea to get the map out.

"And I thought you were reliable, bro." Korea mused, slinging his gun across his back with the strap. He fanned out the map so it would open and studied it intently as they rounded a corner.

"They're behind us." Hong Kong said to Japan, throwing a look behind his shoulders.

"Shoot them."

"Will do." Hong Kong turned around, walking backwards, and shot down the hall. Several bullets hit the wall and the floor, but some pierced the doppelgangers and their blood spewed onto the wall.

Some used others as a shield and advanced forward.

"Hong Kong, let's go!" Taiwan yelled, beckoning for her brother.

"Like, hang on. They've got shields." Hong Kong said exasperatedly. "Can they, like, do that?"

Greece ran back, grabbed Hong Kong's arm, and dragged him back. "We'll lose them another way." he said hastily.

"Korea, are there any paths we can take to shake them off?" Japan asked him.

"Geez, first you ask me to locate the control center and now you're wanting to shake them off?" Korea asked, turning the map sideways, and then upside-down. "That's too much work, Japan, da-ze."

"Korea!"

"Okay, okay, fine. Let me see." Korea narrowed his eyes as he stared at the map. He brightened and said, "Go left, then take the elevator-"

"The elevator?" Seychelles asked from behind. "Do we have the time to take the elevator?"

"Well we'll never know unless we try, da-ze."

"But the doppelgangers can cut off the power and we'd be stuck there, ana." Thailand reasoned.

"He's got a point." Japan panted. They passed the hall that led the the elevators and continued running on. "Where else?"

As Korea frowned at the map, turning it upside-down again, Thailand fished for a grenade in his pocket and pulled the pin. "Duck, ana!" he yelled at Hong Kong and Greece, who brought up the rear.

The two countries glanced at him in confusion at first, but when they saw the grenade in his hand and the pin the other, they bent over and Thailand threw the explosive over their heads.

The doppelgangers literally hissed and cursed as the grenade landed right in front of them. They disappeared in a small cloud of smoke as the grenade blew up, sending shrapnel flying in the air, ready to cut through anything in its way.

"Great, that will buy us some time." Japan sighed in relief.

"Okay, I got it! At the end of this hallway, there will be some stairs. We can go to the next floor, da-ze." Korea said, folding the map back up.

"Keep the map in your hand." Japan said hastily when Korea tried to pass it back to him. "Just in case. Everyone, keep it up! You're all doing great!"

The seven of them reached the stairwell at the end of the hall and thundered up the steps, shooting anxious looks behind them. "No, don't look behind you." Greece said hastily. "That will slow you down."

"Yeah, it kills you." Korea said seriously. "Especially in games, da-ze."

"This isn't the time to be talking about games!" Seychelles chided.

"Yeah, but it happens in real life too, da-ze!"

"Korea, where do we go on this floor?" Japan asked, reaching the top.

"Huh?" Korea glanced from Seychelles to Japan. "Oh, um...I forgot, da-ze."

"And you called _him_ unreliable?" Taiwan sighed wearily.

Before Korea could say something back, Hong Kong raced up to Japan and said, "Over there. Do you, like, think that we can use that room to hide in?"

Japan followed Hong Kong's finger to a door with a golden plaque nailed into the wood. It was the only door with a plaque, and Japan wondered if that was the control center.

But then again, knowing the doppelgangers, they probably reasoned that they, the countries, would probably make it this far and think that the room was a control center because of the plaque. There would barely be anytime to think otherwise if they were being chased, which they were, and they'd fall into a trap.

Japan slowed to a halt outside the door and inspected it. "Control room." he read the plaque. "This is a trap, it has to be."

"Maybe that's what they want you to think, da-ze." Korea said solemnly.

Silence. Japan was suspicious of the sudden quietness in the halls. Surely the doppelgangers would have caught up by now. While the others stared at the door in thought, he scanned the hall and the ceiling tiles, wondering what they were up to.

"We can blow the door up." Greece suggested.

"Let's not get in a hurry." Japan said. "If we blow it up, it will attract the other doppelgangers around the building and we might accidentally set something off."

"We can climb into the vents again and look inside the room from there." Seychelles suggested.

"We don't have the time to." Japan said. "And now that they know the vents are a good way of sneaking around, they'll surely set up another trap."

"Why don't we risk a chance and open the door?" Taiwan asked.

"What if the room activated a bomb and explode us all up?" Japan asked her. "If we knew that would happen, would you still risk it?"

Korea stared at Japan. "Do you really think there's a bomb in there, da-ze?"

"It could be possible."

"I think you've lost it, da-ze."

"Stop arguing and listen." Greece said suddenly, turning his head to stare down the hall, towards the stirs where they came from.

The group froze and paled as voices surrounded them from all the hallways that led to them. The floor they were on had hallways that made a 'T', and they were at the intersection of the two halls. There were three ways they could run to, but there were also three ways the enemy could get to _them_.

"Japan, now or never." Hong Kong said quickly. "We're surrounded, there's a door that says 'Control room', and there are other doors here that lead to, like, who knows what. What do we do?"

Japan could stand there all day and think things through. He could think and think and think and narrow down the possibilities based on what little information he had. He could have Korea unfold the map and study it a little closely before picking a room to hide in.

But what he lacked was time. And if he had time, he'd feel more at ease.

He didn't have time on his side, and so he had to act on instinct or adrenaline or luck or maybe all three.

He disregarded the golden plaque and led the others to a normal door on the opposite side of the hall right before the doppelgangers and the corrupted people could get to them.

And he picked a path that was much more different than the path he would have gone through if he chose the door with the golden plaque. What might have happened if he picked the door with the golden plaque, only fate would know. We only know what really did happen, and we know that Japan guided Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Greece, and Seychelles through the normal door, and that decision made all the difference.


	55. The Los Angeles Hideout: The Final Part

America peered over the boxes, fixing a stare at the doppelgangers that entered the warehouse. His team sat behind him, holding their breaths, watching the back of America's head. If he made a sudden, alarmed, movement, then they'd know they're screwed. If he lowered himself and sighed in relief, then they were safe.

As they waited for America's reaction, America narrowed his eyes at the doppelgangers. They were bringing in scraps of metal and pieces of who knows what. The doppelgangers tossed them in the middle of the warehouse, said a few words to each other, scanned the pile of metal and junk, and left.

Team Two relaxed as America sat back, sighing. "What were they doing just now?" Molossia asked.

"They just threw in a bunch of metal and crap." America said, scratching the back of his head. "Nothing big."

"For all we know, it could be something big." Cameroon said.

America shrugged. "Yeah, it could be." Then he sought out Canada and asked him, "Have you finished drawing the map, bro?"

Canada handed America a piece of paper with forty-nine squares roughly drawn in rows and columns of seven. America took the paper and the pencil Canada offered next and said, "Alright, let's hear it again. This is north, this is east, south, and west..." America draw a small compass rose on the paper. "Now which warehouses have weapons and which don't?"

They spent five minutes hunched over the map, pointing to the squares as America scribbled in a 'W' for 'weapons'. Two of the minutes were spent arguing whether it was warehouse number sixteen or eighteen that had weapons or not, to which America asked if they should go out and check again.

"Fine, I'll go check. If I'm right, you take off twenty percent of the debt I owe you." Mexico said to Cuba.

Cuba gave him a stunned look. "What? Wait, if I have to do that, then _he_ has to lift the embargo." He pointed a furious finger to America.

"What? Hold up." America pointed in between the two. "Okay, if you want twenty percent off your debt to him, and you want me to lift the embargo, then what do I get?"

Cuba cocked his head thoughtfully. "A free high five?"

"Why are you even talking about deals like that?" Cameroon asked irritably as America shot Cuba a 'Seriously?' look. "Forget the deals and bets. Just go."

Mexico, Cuba, and America exchanged glances. "We'll talk later." the three said, and Mexico weaved his way out of the box fort and cautiously down the stairs.

Mexico shot a last glance back up at the box fort, waved at the countries that watched him leave, and stepped out into the sun. Though it was late spring, turning into summer, the heat wasn't too bad. Better than his house, where parts of it was all sun.

"Twenty-three...that one is twenty-two..." he murmured, dashing from one warehouse to the other. He caught himself just in time before he ran out of the shadows and in front of a doppelganger. Backing up behind a forklift, Mexico crouched down and peered around the tires.

As soon as Dark Greenland passed him, Mexico quietly tip toed out from the forklift, glanced to the side where Dark Greenland was walking away, and ran to the next warehouse.

_A few more steps..._ Mexico thought. _Made it!_

He crouched down again and sneaked a peek back. Pleased that he wasn't spotted or heard by Dark Greenland, he stood back up and dusted the dirt from his pants.

Mexico froze when he noticed a shadow looming over him on the ground. The others didn't follow him, that was for sure. A pang of dread filled him and he had a bad feeling that he'd never find out whether warehouse sixteen or warehouse eighteen had the weapons.

And his vision faded to black.

* * *

><p>Seven minutes passed and Team Two was getting antsy. America and Sweden exchanged looks, wondering if Mexico was captured or if he was on his way back. Another three long minutes passed and they assumed the worst.<p>

"I'm going to go find him." Cuba sighed, getting up.

"No, that's not a good idea." Sweden said calmly. "We send one person out there, he gets captured. We send another, he gets captured too."

America nodded. "One by one, they'll take us out. But Sweden, we can't just leave Mexico like that. I mean, sure sometimes I can't get along with the guy but as the leader of the Best Buds Group, I can't leave him. Let's have three people sent out there, like Germany does it. If Germany does it, then we can't really go wrong."

"You do realize Germany lost both world wars, right?" Cameroon asked America.

"Oh yeah...well, that was the past. So, let's see, Cameroon, you, Cuba, and Canada are to go and look for Mexico." America said, grinning at them.

The three stared at him for a while, and then at each other. "If the captain says so, then we should." Canada said quietly, breaking the silence.

"If anything happens to us, I'll blame you." Cuba grunted to America as he shifted the boxes aside. He slipped by the boxes and made his way down the metal stairs, followed closely by Canada and Cameroon.

They too left with a single glance back up at the others, and then they were gone.

"Is it a good idea for them to go and look for Mexico?" Romano asked, crossing his arms. "I mean, sure we need to find the guy, but why them?"

America cocked his head for a while. "I don't know. I picked random people."

"You didn't consider their weaknesses and strengths?" Sweden asked America.

"Uh..."

Romano cursed. "We're going to get fucked up."

* * *

><p>Canada's shoulder slumped when he found himself all alone. How he got separated from the others, he wasn't exactly sure. Did they forget he was there again? That was most likely the case. He was trailing behind them and he shot a look behind his shoulders after they stopped behind a forklift.<p>

When he looked back to the others, they were gone. He was alone.

_Okay, well...I'll be able to find them eventually._ Canada thought nervously, staying put. Maybe if he stayed where he was, they'd realize that he was gone and go looking for him. It would make things more difficult if they were looking for a moving target, so he decided to stay there.

Canada shuddered. He had gotten a sudden chill, as if he knew that something was going to happen.

'As if?' No. Canada took a long deep breath. Something _was_ going to happen.

* * *

><p>Cuba and Cameroon watched a pair of doppelgangers conversing quietly with each other in the distance. With those doppelgangers there, they couldn't advance forward; all they could do was to go back the way they came.<p>

"We're wasting time here." Cuba whispered.

Cameroon nodded and glanced behind him. Then he stopped and stared at the emptiness behind them. "Are we missing someone?"

Cuba blinked at him. "What?"

Cameroon frowned. "We're missing someone." he repeated. He thought back to when he and Cuba and that one person left the makeshift box fort. America certainly sent out three people...right? Yes, he was sure of it.

Cameroon stared aimlessly into space as he tried grasp the faded memory of that third person when Cuba suddenly exclaimed, "Canada!"

Cameroon blinked blankly at Cuba. "Huh?"

Cuba shook Cameroon's shoulders anxiously and said, "Canada! We're missing Canada! Aw man, I can't believe I forgot the guy again! We have to go back and find him before he gets into trouble."

"Wait, wait." Cameroon grabbed onto Cuba's sleeve before he could rush out of their hiding spot. "Before we do anything, let's think this through carefully. We can't afford to mess up."

Cuba stared at him for a while, and then he sat back, leaning against the wall of the warehouse they hid behind. Then he heaved a heavy, defeated sigh and stared up at the sky. "Okay, so what do we do?

Silence. Not a word from Cameroon.

Cuba sighed again. "No ideas yet?"

No response. Not even a small grunt of confirmation or contradiction.

Cuba shot a weird sideways glance at Cameroon, only to stare at the empty air beside him. Cameroon was gone and he left a puddling trail of blood behind.

_Shit, when did that happen?_ Cuba thought in bewilderment. _And so silently too. I didn't even notice._

He got up to his feet and looked around. Nothing to the left, nothing to the right, and nothing in front. He noticed that the doppelgangers that prevented him and Cameroon from going anywhere were gone. _So it was them. _Cuba thought.

His back faced the wall, so there was no chance that the doppelgangers could come from behind. Cuba took a few steps out from the shadows, shot another series of looks around, and glanced up towards the rooftops.

"They couldn't have come from above." he murmured to himself. "I was looking up when he disappeared. I would have noticed. Right?" He scratched his head and fixed his eyes on the trail of blood.

Cuba scowled, "I'm not going to follow that. That's just stupid." The he went around the corner on the other side, planning to circle around the warehouse. _I'll go around and see if I can track them. They'd probably think I'd follow the trail. Wonder if they expected me to do the opposite._

Then he stopped as soon as a sudden, startling thought popped up. _What if they knew I wouldn't follow the trail and go behind?_

Cuba couldn't help but gulp anxiously. The doppelgangers were getting to his head; there was no way they could anticipate his exact movements, could they? Maybe he was just getting paranoid. He didn't think that the doppelgangers would take a risk like that.

Would they?

"No, they wouldn't..." Cuba said to himself, and he found himself slowly walking forward, continuing around the warehouse. Then he stopped again. "But these are doppelgangers." he murmured. "Damn. What do I do?"

What were the chances of them assuming that he'd follow the trail? They would most likely know he wouldn't fall for that. They'd probably assume he'd go around, like he was about to. But what were the possibilities of him idling around thinking about it?

Cuba's stomach sank. _Damn, they'd probably think I'd stay in one spot thinking and overwhelm me that way._

Unfortunately, he was right, but he didn't get a chance to realize it.

As Cuba collapsed to the ground, Dark Canada and Dark Brazil exchanged looks with each other on the top of the warehouse. "You have good aim." Dark Canada said to Dark Brazil.

Dark Brazil flashed a grin. "Obrigado."

* * *

><p>Sweden gave America a long, hard, stare.<p>

America fiddled his fingers nervously. It had been almost half an hour since they last saw Mexico and roughly twenty or so minutes since they last saw Canada, Cuba, and Cameroon.

And now Sweden was probably about to blame America for losing half of their team.

"Okay, okay, so maybe it was a mistake." America coughed.

Sweden's eyebrow rose at the word 'maybe'.

"Okay, it _is_ a mistake. But never fear. We still got more heroes, right?" America stood up and kicked away the boxes that sheltered them. "Okay team. This time, we're all heading out. We have two objectives, and that is to save our teammates that bravely sacrificed themselves for the sake of the team, and to put down the doppelgangers once and for all-hey! Where are you going, Sweden?"

Sweden looked up from the stairs he was about to descend and said calmly, "Heading out. That's what you said."

America scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, but wait until I'm finished with my pep talk." When Sweden waited for the end, America cleared his throat and added sheepishly, "Uh, never mind. I think that was it."

America, Sweden, Molossia, and Romano cleaned up their makeshift box fort, rearranging the boxes so that they looked untouched. The boxes America kicked at were dented so they gathered up all the damaged boxes and scooted them together, covering them up with the other boxes.

After they thought that they did a pretty good job hiding any evidence they were there, they set off. "No more splitting up." America said to them as the four ran down the road, southwards.

"Why are you telling us?" Romano asked from behind. "You were the one who suggested it anyway, you jerk."

Sweden cut them both off with his glare. They silenced themselves, exchanging nervous looks. "Uh, Sweden, you're starting to scare me. Is something wrong?" America asked slowly, accelerating to catch up to him.

"You're too loud." Sweden said simply, and that was it.

They halted when they got to the first row of warehouse, panting softly to avoid being heard by the doppelgangers. After they made sure they weren't being followed, America led them to the first warehouse to deactivate whatever missiles were stored there.

"And if they're just regular light weapons like guns or grenades or crap, we can just steal them and hide it." America grinned.

"Really? That's your plan?" Romano asked, dumbfounded.

"Well yeah, I mean what else can you do?"

Romano didn't have an answer. Honestly, he didn't want to do anything but to go back home, hang out at his favorite cafe, flirt a little bit, and then take a siesta. He would do anything to do that again.

Anything but go up against the doppelgangers. Romano would even prefer to be back at the potato bastard's house, and he had even told America that. America had shrugged and said, "Whatever, but you're stuck here so you're gonna have to deal with it."

The first warehouse was the warehouse with the nuclear weapons deliverer, and their systems were back online to America's dismay. Dark America was leaning over the monitors, watching Dark Greenland work. From the main doors of the warehouse, Dark Canada and Dark Brazil entered with four limp figures being dragged behind them.

Team Two tensed when they saw that it was Mexico, Canada, Cuba, and Cameroon. "I knew it." America whispered.

"Of course you did." Romano whispered back, but America didn't seem to hear him.

"What are you two doing with those four?" Dark America asked from the deliverer.

Dark Brazil harrumphed and said smoothly, "They're not us."

Dark America nodded. "I see. Put them with South Italy."

"South Italy is gone." Dark Brazil said casually.

"What?" Dark America's tone hardened and the atmosphere suddenly became darker and colder.

"There's more of them here, I bet." Dark Greenland murmured.

Dark America glanced down at Dark Greenland, and then back up at Dark Brazil and Dark Canada who lined up Mexico, Canada, Cuba, and Cameroon by the wall. Dark America sighed and shook his head. "How annoying."

Dark Greenland watched Dark America walk to a desk on the other side of the warehouse and pull open the first drawer. "You know, I always thought that our originals were foolish." Dark America picked up a black handgun and inspected it. "They claim that whatever they do is simply because they _want_ to." Dark America opened up another drawer and casually dropped new bullets into the magazine of the handgun. "Lies, of course. They follow their bosses. Mere mortals. Humans, you know? Ha! They deceive the people and tell them they do good..._justice_."

Dark America snapped the magazine into place. "I wonder when they'll realize that following regular humans who don't have the time or experience countries do is stupid. Every world leader will eventually die and decay, rotting away underground for the years to come. That's why the world need leaders that won't die. Leaders that can rule for centuries and maybe even forever, you know?"

He turned and glanced at Dark Greenland. "Don't you think?"

Dark Greenland said nothing. He only gave Dark America an analyzing look, as if wondering what he was up to, and then returned to his work unfazed.

Dark America didn't mind. He smiled and said softly, "The originals will have to just step aside and...let us take over." Dark America lifted his arm and shot the gun right where America and the others were hiding without looking at them.

America sucked in his breath and started to push everyone else back before the bullet could injure one of them. As he moved, he realized that his movements seemed to sloth-like, too lethargic, and he would never make it.

The bullet's trajectory was spot-on to hitting Sweden; America could tell just by the direction his doppelganger's arm was pointing in. Why Sweden, he had no idea. He only knew that if Sweden didn't get out of the way in time, he was in trouble.

Moving faster than a bullet was pretty much impossible, however. Sweden was caught by surprise for once and before America could yell out in alarm, Sweden fell backwards, his blood flying into the air to stain America, Molossia, and Romano.

"Sweden!" the three hissed as Sweden clutched his right shoulder, grimacing.

America hastily wiped the bright red blood from the lens of his glasses and gritted his teeth. Dark America's voice stopped him however when he said, "Oh, what's this? A new wave of hatred? Feels great. So refreshing, bro."

America stood up slowly and sent a glare towards his doppelganger's grinning face. "You're annoying. Like, seriously. Do you ever shut up?"

"No."

"Didn't think so." America said under his breath. He shot a sideways glance at Sweden, who was getting to his feet. America jumped as another gunshot rang out in the vast, empty air of the warehouse, making the shot much louder than it should.

Sweden gritted his teeth as the sharp pain shot up his other shoulder. Warm blood seeped through his sleeve and dripped down his fingertips. He ignored America, Molossia, and Romano's look of shock; he fixed his glare at Dark America, who was already reloading.

"What was _that_?" America exclaimed angrily.

Another shot.

This time, Molossia hissed and gripped his left side, cursing freely under his breath so that America wouldn't hear.

"_Dude_!" America hissed.

Another shot.

Romano yelped as a bullet pierced his right arm. "_Shut the hell up or you'll kill us all_!" he yelled at America.

America bit down on his lower lip and watched Dark America carefully. Dark America raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Finally. And you say _I_ never shut up?"

America was about to retort but when he saw Dark America's trigger finger flexing by the trigger, he closed it shut.

Dark America glanced at Dark Greenland and murmured something to him. Dark Greenland nodded at him and left the deliverer. America and Sweden followed Dark Greenland with their eyes until Dark Greenland left through the main doors while beckoning Dark Canada and Dark Brazil.

"Where are they going?" Sweden asked Dark America, seeing that America wouldn't dare talk if it would make his doppelganger shoot.

Dark America was quiet for a moment, as if considering if he should shoot one of them because Sweden spoke. He decided not too and said, "Does it really matter?"

"Yes."

Dark America scoffed. "Why?"

"Why else?"

Dark America smiled at Sweden. "Touche. But I'm still not gonna tell. That's no fun, right? Now that you four are pretty much trapped, why don't you quietly go to the corner with your other friends and sit there like good boys, okay? You'll be safe here while we destroy your homes."

Forgetting that if he talked, someone would get shot, America asked, "How can you destroy me, Canada, and Mexico in a day? That kind of mission will take years and you don't have the firepower to do that."

Dark America pulled the trigger and America flinched as the bullet skid past his skin on his cheek. He heard Molossia behind him hiss in pain and turned around to watch Molossia clamp a hand over the side of his neck.

"Aw, you moved." Dark America said monotonously. "Oh well. Two birds with a rock. That's what England used to say, right?"

"It was a freaking stone." America snapped.

Dark America grinned. America wanted to jump off a cliff and the others secretly wished he would. Another bullet sped through the air and it pierced Romano in the chest.

"Someone duct-tape his fucking mouth shut already, damn it." Romano croaked, kneeling down as he clutched his chest.

Sweden reached out and clamped a bloody hand over America despite America grimacing at Sweden's blood entering his mouth. America's grimacing stopped when Sweden gave him a glare and he stilled himself.

"You want to know how we're going to do it?" Dark America asked quietly. He lowered the handgun and twirled it with his fingers, not at all worried if he might accidentally pull the trigger. "The big guns are for the bigger cities. Kinda obvious, you know? We have to wreck the big places. I know what you're thinking. Why destroy the big cities if there's no one there?

"Well, let me tell you. We're starting off fresh, and how can we do that if there are already things you guys built? We're gonna destroy starting with the big cities and over the years, we'll destroy everything else. You know how we can bring out the hate in your people, right? Well, we'll have your own people act as our henchmen. Our own pawns. After we get the dirty work done, we'll make them kill each other. Except for a few, you know? Gotta stay alive by keeping the government and some people."

Dark America cocked his head. "You know, I wasn't supposed to tell you guys anything. Every other hatred said to not do that, even if I have the greatest advantage. Germany's hatred said that the higher you go, the worse the fall will be."

Dark America scoffed in distaste. "Screw him. Who said I was gonna fall? The others worry too much. But I tell them that they're too careful. No risks at all, and dude, we're America. It's all about risk. The Revolution. We went against the lobster who was supposed to be the most powerful empire and crap.

"Civil War. Remember that? You split into two and fought against yourself. The risk? Losing the war and half of yourself. Sure you had a huge advantage but hey, they got some Indians. Man, I remember that war. So much blood. Remember Antietam? Shiloh? Ooh!" Dark America's eyes gleamed. "_Remember Gettysburg_?"

America balled up his fist and scowled through Sweden's hand. Sweden used his freehand to grab onto America's collar in case if America lunged at Dark America.

Dark America inhaled deeply and let out a long, relaxed sigh. "Man, that is some good hate inside of you. I can feel it from here."

"Don't get angry at him." Sweden ordered quietly to America. "Stay calm."

"I'm trying." America muttered under his hand, keeping quiet so Dark America wouldn't take aim at them.

"Try harder."

Dark America burst out laughing. "Oh, I can feel some reluctance in that hate right now. Good luck. It takes a lot to keep me down." He stopped, giving them a wide, broad smirk. "You know what? Yeah, screw the others. I'll do what I want. I think I'll start the attack right now. It's a day early for me but if Japan's hatred is gonna start soon, then why can't I?"

"If you go against orders, what will they do to you?" Sweden asked Dark America coldly.

Dark America shrugged. "Dunno. But what can they do? I'm a superpower. They can't kill me off."

America ripped Sweden's hand from his mouth and spat, "What do you mean 'me'? _I'm the real one_!"

Instead of a gunshot, Dark America mused, "Yeah, but what's 'real' anymore? Two months ago, if you tell the other countries that an emotion will take over the world, would they believe you? Hell no. But look what happened."

Dark America made his way to the deliverer and started to activate the weapons. When America and Sweden started to run to him, Dark America raised a free hand into the air. America and Sweden stopped at the sound of several gun hammers clicking back and they looked up along the second platform running along the side of the warehouse.

Doppelgangers aimed at the severely wounded Romano and Molossia, the unconscious Mexico, Canada, Cuba, and Cameroon, and at America and an already injured Sweden. Dark America laughed and clapped his hands. "Man, I've always wanted to do that. Give a signal and have people aim at enemies. Dude, that's cool."

America winced as one of the guns shot and lodged a bullet inside his side. "Dude, _the heck_?" he spat, looking down to see a growing bloodstain on his shirt.

"Not my fault some are trigger-happy. Blame Switzerland's hatred. He was here a couple days ago to check our light arms." Dark America said coolly. "You're pretty much stuck. Whatcha gonna do now?"

America bowed his head. He stayed like that for a few silent seconds. Then he looked at Sweden. As always, his face was stoic, but something in his eyes showed defeat. America glanced back at Romano and Molossia, who were puddling with dark red blood. A dangerous amount of blood loss too; he swore they were practically bathing in it.

There was no other choice.

Earlier, back at Germany's house, America had worried that something bad will happen. It alwa\ys do, and he planned a back-up plan that only he knew. He didn't even tell Sweden. He knew that Sweden would go against it so he kept it to himself.

Only, he told his military, and they did express some doubt but America ignored it. "Now or never boys," he had said to them. "I know it's crazy, but it's now or never."

_It's not like we can die. Just very, very, very, very, very, wounded. _America thought.

He slowly reached into his pocket and fished for his walkie-talkie. Dark America and the other doppelgangers watched him carefully.

"Are there some regular people around here? Like, in the city?" America asked.

Dark America frowned for once. "No. Why?" he asked slowly.

America breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. I'd never forgive myself if this happened and I killed innocent people."

Dark America tensed and so did the others. "What?"

America ignored him and pressed the button on the walkie-talkie to contact his military. "Execute Plan X." he said.

A voice sounded alarmed. "But sir, that's too risky."

America smiled weakly to himself. "Risky...yeah."

"Sir?"

"Do it."

"Do what?" Dark America asked dangerously, his voice rising.

America was shot several times in the back and he fell to his knees, dropping the walkie-talkie as he collapsed. Coughing up blood, America croaked, "This place is gonna be bombed, bro. I'm bombing us."

"America..." Sweden hissed but he couldn't say anything else.

"I'm sorry dude." America coughed feebly. His muscles didn't seem to be able to hold him up any longer. He let himself fall to the ground in the puddle of his blood. "It'll hurt a lot but we won't die. As long as we have our people and our government, we won't die."

Dark America hissed sharply and shouted, "What do you mean we're going to be bombed? Don't you know that if you bomb bombs, it'll-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." America grinned at his doppelganger through his blood mask. "Just shut up and deal with it you coward."

Above them, they could hear jets zooming above them. America closed his eyes and listened to the doppelgangers yelling at each other. He felt Sweden collapse next to him and he opened one eye. Sweden was facing him with a knowing look in his eyes. There was no defeat in them; just knowing.

"Bombing the bombs." Sweden murmured. "Do you usually do that?"

America closed his eyes once more and gave Sweden a genuine smile.

"No. But I wish."

* * *

><p>The bombs were dropped. America's men in the fighter jets felt a small pang of regret deep down inside of them despite knowing fully well that their country wouldn't die. They still felt guilty, putting their country through that much pain, but it was their job to follow orders and they followed them through.<p>

A loud explosion followed them out of the city; the shock waves threatened to send them out of control but they held together and escaped without a single scratch.

A few of them couldn't help but glance behind them to watch the city burn in embers. The clouds around them seemed to be pushed away from the city; the air below them because dusty and thick with flaming debris.

The Los Angeles Hideout was gone, and part of the world was safe from destruction.

One down, six more to go.


	56. The Edinburgh Hideout: Part I

Edinburgh was the farthest city after the others; it was nearly time for England's team to set out.

"It would be much appreciated if you didn't make our farewell sound so permanent." England coughed to Germany at the doorway. "It makes me uneasy."

Germany considered getting a book on how to say farewell to people without sounding like they were going on a suicide mission, but at the situation they were in, it was very difficult not to.

"I hope to see you all again someday-" Germany started,

"No. It still sounds like we're on a suicidal mission." England interrupted.

"I'm sure we'll cross paths-"

"Try again."

"Take good care and don't come back in bits and pieces. And also, don't bleed over my car seats-"

"How is that any better?"

Germany shook his head and growled, "Forget it. I'm not good at this. You know what I mean. Just go."

England nodded at Germany and glanced back at his team. He, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Sealand, and Ladonia made up Team Seven. The Nordics excluding Sweden, who was with America (England wondered how they were doing), were double checking their supplies. Sealand, to England's discomfort, was in the driver's seat of the car, playing with the steering wheel. The car was already on, and England didn't want Sealand to run over someone accidentally.

That would be very bad.

Ladonia was watching Sealand with a mixture of irritation and impatience, exactly the expression England himself wanted to express. Liechtenstein was with Switzerland by the car. Switzerland was talking to her quietly, and Liechtenstein looked like she wanted to say something but held her peace.

"Listen to your captain, alright? He's got enough sense to get your all out safe." Switzerland was saying to her. _I hope._ Switzerland couldn't help but think.

Liechtenstein nodded and opened her mouth a little to say something but Switzerland didn't see her inclination to speak and spoke over her, "Don't be scared, don't make unnecessary noises, stick with the group, don't dawdle, don't play around, always keep your gun out, remember to keep it clean, and don't play with the gun."

Liechtenstein nodded again.

When Switzerland was satisfied enough to leave her, Liechtenstein straightened her poise and watched Switzerland walk away for a brief moment before calling, "Big brother!"

Switzerland stopped and looked at her, and so did anyone else that had heard her call. Liechtenstein hurried over to Switzerland and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

Taken aback, Switzerland could only stare at the top of his sister's head.

"Oh come on." Denmark said from the car.

Switzerland glanced up at the tall Dane.

Denmark was smiling at him, jerking his head in Liechtenstein's direction. "Hug her back. That's what big brothers are for."

Switzerland looked back at Liechtenstein and rested a gentle hand on the top of her head before giving her a quick hug back.

England watched them for a while, then he lifted his arm to look at his watch. It was three in the morning according to Germany's time. The night was dark; the only light source was the brilliant moon and the artificial lights from the car. The car alone would not bring them to his home (actually, they'll be stepping into Scotland's home; Edinburgh was at his older brother's house, and England wasn't sure what to think of that).

The car was to take them to a plane, like the ones that China, Japan, and America's team had taken.

"Alright everyone." England called, stepping down from the steps from the porch of Germany's house. "It's time to go."

As Sealand hopped out of the driver's seat and Switzerland let go of Liechtenstein, England rounded the car to the driver's seat. He stared at the wheel for a while as the others piled into the back with Denmark claiming the passenger seat.

That was on the right side.

_Why is the driver's seat on this side and the passenger seat on the other? _England thought in dismay. _Ah, I'm not used to driving on this side..._

England looked at Denmark in the passenger seat. "Denmark, why don't you drive? I'm not accustomed to driving on this side."

"Y-you're asking _Denmark_ to drive?" Finland asked nervously as Denmark eagerly climbed behind the wheel.

"Yes. Why?"

Finland glanced at Norway and Iceland. Norway regarded England uncertainly. "He's good at driving, but he tends to be eager. You know how he is."

While England wondered what he meant by 'eager', he didn't have to wonder much anymore. Denmark laughed and turned in his seat, giving Norway a grin. "That's an understatement. I'm just practicing to be a race car driver."

"Since when do you want to be a race car driver?" Iceland asked.

Denmark shrugged. "Dunno. But it could happen. England, are you going to go sit down now? We need to get going. We're losing time."

"At the speed he likes to drive in, I doubt it." Norway murmured under his breath.

A few minutes later, England regretted asking Denmark to drive; he should have asked someone else who drove on the right side of the road. Denmark sped along the streets, disregarding stop signs and red lights ("No one's here anyway." Denmark said cheerfully.) It was just like having America drive, and the fact that they were driving on the right side of the road made England have a heart attack. He often forgot that Germany and most of the other countries drove differently; there were times where he thought they would crash at every corner.

The moment they reached their stop, England stumbled out of the car, collapsed onto the ground, hugged it, and cried out, "Safety, oh how much I _love _safety!"

Denmark got out of the seat and closed the door, glancing at England embracing the pavement. "What are you doing?"

"Taking time to praise the solid ground." England murmured, eyes closed and his cheek gently nuzzling the cool sidewalk.

Denmark raised an eyebrow and looked back at the others. Finland was helping Liechtenstein recover from her carsickness and Iceland was trying to calm down Mr. Puffin, who was squawking in alarm. "The man's out to kill us, I swear it!" Mr. Puffin insisted, flapping his wings in panic.

"It wasn't that bad. Think of it like a roller-coaster." Iceland said soothingly.

"But I _hate_ roller-coasters, damn it!"

"Why is everyone so noisy? I thought we were supposed to get on the plane and go." Denmark said, looking from a bemused Norway to a pale and unsteady Ladonia.

"It's amazing how you can drive so fast without hitting anything." Finland said with a small laugh. "Next time, slow down and enjoy the ride, okay?"

Mr. Puffin shot Finland a bewildered look. "_Next time_? You mean he's gonna drive us _again_?"

"Oh, please, no...don't." England moaned on the ground. He was joined by Sealand and Ladonia, who lowered themselves to lie down on the sidewalk. After a minute of recollecting themselves, Team Seven boarded the plane wearily, glad that Denmark wasn't the pilot.

The German pilot had been watching them from the cockpit, and he raised an eyebrow at them when they passed him. Whether it was a good eyebrow raise or not, he didn't say anything. He made sure the countries were safely belted in and promptly saluted England before starting the plane.

"Germany's men have amazing discipline." England said to himself. He stopped talking and shot a look towards Sealand, who was starting to poke and prod at the insides of the plane out of curiosity.

It was going to be a long trip.

* * *

><p>Surprisingly, it wasn't.<p>

England could have sworn that it took a mere hour. When he looked at his watch, he saw that it did, in fact, take an hour. Sighing to himself, he fixed the time on his watch to correspond with the location.

"Wow, this place is amazing!" Denmark whistled, looking up high in the sky to see the rooftops of the buildings.

Edinburgh, according to England, was the capitol city of his older brother, Scotland. The hideout was located in Old Town part of the city. When Sealand asked why part of the city was called 'Old Town' and why the other part was called 'New Town', England said, "The city has preserved many buildings dating back centuries. The buildings from then are considered the ' Old Town' part. The buildings built within this century or the last is considered 'New Town'. Are you even paying attention?"

Sealand hastily looked away from the tall, looming buildings and nodded at England enthusiastically. "Yes, I paid attention."

"These buildings bring me back to the old days." Finland said, smiling. "To think it was three hundred to maybe seven hundred years ago. Maybe a thousand. Feels like it was last century."

The buildings stretched up to tower above them; they carried the ancient feeling as they passed by them. The wide open windows were dark and seemed to be left untouched, though England claimed that people often toured inside the majestic St. Giles Cathedral.

When they passed by the St. Mary's Cathedral, half of the team slowed their pace to a halt to look up to the very top. "The largest of all." England found himself saying. He stopped himself and scowled, "Oi, shouldn't we be getting to the hideout? We can't become tourists and stop at every other build-hey! What did I just say?" England marched off to a wandering Denmark, dragging him back to the team.

"Honestly, what am I going to do with you all?" England scowled.

"What's a little look?" Mr. Puffin asked. "It's not like we get to go from place to place and tour often ya know."

"Let's...let's just get to the hideout. If we succeed, then we may stay back for a few minutes before setting off to help the frog if he needs it." England sighed to them, wondering if he could pull the mission off.

England led the team to the top of the Royal Mile, a series of streets paved throughout the Old Town. At the top of the Royal Mile, a castle greeted them with an aura of foreboding danger.

"Best. Hideout. Ever." Sealand said in a hushed voice, each of his words dictated. "Even better than underwater!"

"Shh." England clamped a hand over Sealand's mouth. "Be quiet. You don't want to get captured this early in the mission."

"'This early'? You make it sound like we will eventually." Mr. Puffin snorted, ruffling his feathers.

England gave Mr. Puffin a look and then regarded Iceland urgently, "Can't you make him be quiet? It's bad enough we have this one on our hands." He nodded at Sealand, who squirmed under England's arms.

As Iceland tried to silence his puffin, Finland asked, "How are we going to get in? Going through the front isn't the best option; that's suicide."

England shot suspicious looks down the street and beckoned for everyone to follow him into the nearest alleyway. They shuffled past a series of small tables and chairs on the sidewalk belonging to a street cafe and into the dark covert of the alley. By the time everyone was hidden from the castle, England said in a low voice, "I know from many experiences that this place can be difficult to get to safely. Today, it's a tourist place-"

"No, it's a hideout." Sealand said.

England gritted his teeth. "Okay, fine. Today it is a hideout. Before the doppelgangers, it was a tourist place. People usually go up the Esplanade to the ticket booth and past the gatehouse and the Portcullis gate. If this place really is a hideout, then there's bound to be prisoners. We're still missing the majority of the countries.

"From what I last remembered, there's a prison that used to keep prisoners until..." England paused for a while, thinking. "1923, I'm certain. The more people we rescue, the more people we have on the team. The more people on the team, the better the chances are of success. Usually." he added under his breath.

Denmark grinned at England and propped his axe across his shoulders. It astonished England how Denmark seemed to carry the weapon around so conveniently; he always seemed to have it with him when at first glance he didn't. "So where's the prison located at?"

"South, adjacent to the barracks."

"Wait, wait. Before we go, how are we getting in?" Finland asked again. "The walls look too high to climb, the front entrance is too obvious and we'll be seen."

England scanned the team and took a deep breath. "How fast can everyone run? No, better question; how fast can everyone run _while being silent?_"

"What kind of question is that? It's not like we check." Ladonia scoffed, crossing his arms haughtily.

England scowled, "Well it's not like we have any other choice. We have to be silent or it won't work. The night will cover for us, but don't rely on it all together. Use the shadows, watch the windows and the walls. Watch where you're going and don't talk." He specifically aimed the 'don't talk' part to Sealand.

Sealand cocked his head in confusion when England stared at him. "What? What did I do this time?"

Shaking his head, England stepped out into the moonlit street and stared up at the Edinburgh Castle. It had been years since he last stepped foot within the perimeter of the castle. His most recent visits were peaceful as peaceful as it could be. The older visits brought back memories of defeat.

_Well played. _England thought as they lurked in the shadows, staying close to the ancient buildings. _To make such a place a hideout. Well played._

The Esplanade sloped upwards towards Castle Rock, where the castle was built upon. To their surprise and silent relief, they ascended safely without any event. England led them past the gatehouse and down through the Portcullis gate and the Argyle Tower.

They stopped and pressed their backs against the stone wall when two figures patrolled above them on the wall overlooking the city to the north. Whether they were doppelgangers or regular people who were taken over by their own hatred, they couldn't tell. The guards were silent as they passed each other, a strong beam of light from their flashlights sweeping the path in front of them.

As soon as they were gone, England and the rest of the team let out a long breath before continuing on.

Liechtenstein hurried her pace to catch up to England and timidly tapped him on the shoulder. "Um, what should we do if a doppelganger spots us?" She wanted to know if there was a plan if something should happen. The lack of information of a back-up plan pestered her, and she knew she would fuss over it if she didn't know, causing distraction.

England glanced down at her, slowing down a little. "If that happens, then I'll take care of it." he said to her reassuringly. "Just don't panic, don't make a sound, and follow my lead."

Though it wasn't necessarily completely reassuring, it did good to know that there was indeed a plan. The others behind them became slightly more relaxed when they heard England had something in mind. They only hoped it was a good one.

The prison was guarded by Dark Norway, and they were stuck. England murmured that there was no other way getting into the prison. "The front is the only way in unless you blow up the place."

Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland shuddered at the sentence. "Blow up?" Iceland repeated uncertainly. "Why does it feel like that the phrase is so..."

"Sinister." Norway murmured.

The Nordics exchanged looks. England sighed and murmured, "It's only two words. It won't do any harm."

"So how are we going to get over there?" Ladonia asked, peering around the corner with Liechtenstein and Sealand.

"The only way possible." England whispered. He scanned the ground for a pebble; not too big or Dark Norway would see it in the air, but not too small that it wouldn't be noticeable when the pebble would hit the ground. When he found one that suited him, England chucked the pebble into the air, hoping that the pebble would attract Dark Norway's attention.

Dark Norway's head snapped to the left at the sound of the pebble rebounding off the cobblestone road. The doppelganger was still for a moment, and then he motioned for a guard perched above him from the wall to go check the sound out.

England's shoulders slumped at the failure and the rest of them sighed. While England thought up of another plan, he felt a tiny tug on a strand of his hair. He glanced up and shaded his eyes at the sudden glow. "Miss Fairy, what are you doing here? It's too dangerous for you to come with me." he chided quietly to the outrageously glowing fairy.

England ignored the blank expressions from the others, except Norway who was watching silently.

"Oh, go home to the others. You're like a flashlight here. You'll attract the attention of the enemy." England was saying, grinning to an invisible thing that seemed to be circling him. He kept on turning his head this way and that, keeping up with an unknown force that they couldn't see. Except Norway; his gaze was fixed where England's gaze was.

After a few tentative seconds, Norway brought England out of his 'conversation' with 'Miss Fairy'. "Send her out as a distraction." he said to him.

England gave Norway a shocked look. "You want me to send Miss Fairy out _there_? Why?"

"Her glow will lead Dark Norway away. She can fly to safety when her job is done." Norway said in a business-like tone.

England glanced from the stoic Norway to the bubbly fairy. Miss Fairy gave England a smile and nodded her head.

"You want to help us, Miss Fairy?" England asked.

The magical creature nodded.

England crossed his arms and tossed a look towards Dark Norway, who was diligently guarding the prison. "Alright then. Have a go at it. But once we're out, go fly back home, okay? And tell the others not to come or I'll change your curfew to ten p.m."

The fairy did a small back flip in the air and flew down to hug England's thumb. England chuckled and patted the fairy's small head. "Alright, alright. Just be careful. Go on now. We can't waste time."

England and Norway watched the fairy fly off, oblivious to the stares from behind. "What the hell did we just watch?" Ladonia murmured.

Sealand's shoulders slumped in slight depression. "And I'm supposed to be related to him?" he whispered to himself.

Since the rest of them couldn't see 'Miss Fairy', they relied on England and Norway to give them the signal. England and Norway kept their eye on the fairy and Dark Norway, who was bound to see the magical creature at once due to her natural mystical glow. Dark Norway watched the fairy zoom across the court for a split second before scowling, following it.

"Watch the prisoners!" he commanded to the remaining guards from above on the wall.

"Aha. So there _are_ prisoners." England smiled. He waited until two guards took Dark Norway's place. They weren't doppelgangers; they were regular people. They shouldn't be a problem, he assumed.

"Norway, go up to them and pretend you're the doppelganger. They shouldn't' be able to see their eyes in this darkness. By the time they notice that your eyes are normal, you would have already taken them out." England whispered.

Norway nodded curtly and slipped past him. The guards thought Norway was the doppelganger, just like England predicted. Team Seven watched as Norway passed them, back still facing them, and stopped, saying, "I found nothing. A mere illusion my eyes have played on me."

"Is that so? Then we better get-" the first guard was saying in a gruff voice, but he was cut off.

"Wha-"

The second guard was too cut off.

It was difficult to see what exactly happened from England's point of view, and he assumed that it was also difficult for everyone else to see what was going on as well. They could only make out Norway's silhouette reaching out from behind the guards, then a lot of thrashing, and then they were still.

Norway's silhouette crouched down to lay the guards down on the ground before he stood up and looked expectantly towards them. England and the others lightly ran towards him, inspecting the unconscious men.

"Wow. I couldn't have done it better myself." Denmark whistled.

"Hide them. When Dark Norway gets back and sees them, he'll know." England ordered at once.

"Where?" Iceland asked, helping Ladonia heave up the first guard.

England gritted his teeth again. There were no immediate hiding spots, and he didn't know how long Miss Fairy could keep the diversion up. "In the prison. Come on, let's hurry!"

The prison was dark, and they had to pause for a few anxious seconds to allow their eyes to adjust to the change. Once their eyes allowed in more light, England waved a hand to the right, signaling for them to take the unconscious guards into the room on the right.

There was a metal staircase right in front of them that led up to a cell and possibly other cells. England took up the lead and slowly ascended, cringing every time someone made a sound much too loud for his liking.

It was a wonder how they got up the stairs without alerting any other guards that might be lurking around, or even Dark Norway if he returned to his post. England quickly counted the numbers of the team and mentally sighed in relief when he counted them all.

"We're all here. Everyone doing okay?" England asked with a tired smile.

"Doing great." Denmark smiled. "Although it's kinda uneventful. When are we going to take the doppelgangers down once and for all?"

"As soon as we free the countries here." England said, turning to face the cells. "Let's hope we can raise our number."

Mr. Puffin squawked quietly as they ventured further down the hall. "It's dark here. And the cells must be old. I don't like it here; let's go back."

"What do you mean 'go back'?" Iceland murmured quietly. "We can't do that. Just shut your beak and we'll be fine."

They were getting near the end of the hall, and England was starting to have second doubts. Maybe there were no prisoners. Maybe Dark Norway was there to fool them into thinking there was. Maybe the doppelgangers planned for them to walk into their own cells!

"Are you okay?" Liechtenstein asked nervously. "You look pale, England."

Pale? Maybe it was just the lighting that made him look pale. But that was beside the point. England was about to usher everyone back outside but a drawling, familiar voice stopped him.

"Well would ya look at that...he's alright after all."

That voice.

England heaved a heavy sigh in his head. _Of course...I should have known. _Then he straightened up his posture, turn a calm face towards the very last cell at the dim end of the hall, and met his older brother's eyes that bore into him indifferently.

"Hello, Scotland."


	57. The Omsk Hideout: Part III

Belarus was alone. But that was okay (for now). She didn't need to have the others with her; all she needed was Russia.

Shading her eyes from the violent torrent of wind and snow, Belarus shuffled through the freshly laid out layer of whiteness. She tried to catch a small sound of the fight, if there was a fight. She wasn't sure if Russia was waiting for a moment to pounce and beat the living shit out of Dark Russia or if they were already at it. Whatever was happening, she was determined to go find out.

As soon as she located them.

Scowling to herself, Belarus slowly twirled her knife with her right hand. Before Team Three left Germany, Belarus had spent an awful lot of time polishing her knife, making sure it was clean and gleaming. Back in Guangzhou, it had left with quite a bit of scratches and she had a hard time getting the dry blood out from the crevices where the blade met the handle.

Now, it was getting peppered with flakes of icy water. How nice.

Wiping the blade clean of the snow with her sleeve, Belarus whipped her head to the right towards the sound of a crunching sound. It sounded as if bones were being broken.

That was her call; she licked her lips hungrily and made her way towards the sound, using the covert of the snow to her advantage.

Belarus found Russia and Dark Russia staring at each other, panting slightly. Their puffs of hot air faded into the gray air as they bored their killing-intent gazes at each other.

Belarus was about to shout out something to Russia to let him know he wasn't alone, but she stopped and found herself staring, as though mesmerized, by his hands. They were both covered with blood, blood that dripped freely and stained his sleeves.

Russia was gritting his teeth at his doppelganger, who was starting to smirk and laugh. He didn't think he would ever feel express his actual feelings with facial expressions. Usually, he kept a straight face with nearly ever emotion he came across. But something about Dark Russia made it impossible to keep a calm composure.

"Why don't you give up now? Both your hands are broken. Fingers crushed, wrists snapped into half...just quit it, okay?" Dark Russia said pleasantly.

Both hands broken? Was Russia able to fight now that his hands were useless?

Normally, Belarus would have barged in and interrupted the fight, taking Dark Russia one on one just for Russia. However, Russia's sudden movement made her stop and watch him.

Russia knew his hands were practically useless but the pain barely reached him. Was it because the frost numbed them? Was it because Russia was too busy being concentrating on his doppelganger that he didn't seem to notice? Or was it both? It didn't matter; what mattered was beating Dark Russia and getting back to the team, wherever they were.

The lack of pain-or at least, the full extent of it-didn't bother him and didn't stop him from ramming himself into his darker counterpart. Russia rammed Dark Russia into the window of the closest building, sending both of them tumbling into the building. The frostbitten glass shards shattered into pieces and made a sharp, bloody bed on the floor for both the country and doppelganger.

Russia pinned Dark Russia to the ground by sitting on his doppelganger's lower abdomen, bent over with his right forearm pressed hard against Dark Russia's throat and that their faces were mere inches away from each other. The violet eyes pierced the red and the red offered the same dark intentions.

"Why don't _you_ quit it, da?" Russia sneered, applying even more pressure onto Dark Russia's neck.

Dark Russia grabbed Russia's right forearm with both his hands and tossed his original over to the side, sending Russia crashing to the wall. The wall crumbled within impact and Russia landed painfully on his side in the next room. Dark Russia had gotten up by the time the debris settled down. He stepped through gaping hole in the wall that separated the two rooms and sought out Russia, who was getting up to his feet.

"Persistent, aren't you?" Dark Russia glowered. "Don't worry. I won't kill you. Not that you can by normal means. But listen carefully, okay?" He lunged at Russia, closing his hand around Russia's neck and lifting him up.

Russia said nothing; he didn't even struggle or writhe to break free.

"We are too strong for you. We can not be destroyed. We will succeed, and we will show no mercy."

Russia scowled. "I wasn't looking for mercy."

Dark Russia smiled. "Then everything works out, doesn't it?" Dark Russia's sly expression vanished and a brief flash of shock took over. Russia was released and he balanced himself to stay standing, watching Dark Russia turn around to face the hole in the wall.

As he turned, Russia saw three throwing knives deeply implanted into Dark Russia's back. _Belarus._ Russia thought, bewildered. _What is she doing here?_

Dark Russia was also bewildered. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

Russia stared at the back of Dark Russia's head. Was it possible that his hatred was also afraid of Belarus? Surely after all of those years, possible decades, of Belarus going after him holding marriage papers in her hands with a frightening determination to wed him would make even Dark Russia fear her.

Belarus didn't answer Dark Russia at first. She took the time to take out another knife, smirking as Dark Russia eyed it warily. "I'm here to save Big Brother." she whispered, licking the the blade hungrily.

Dark Russia narrowed his eyes slightly at her. "Save? You think that's possible?"

A knife zoomed through the air, piercing Dark Russia's throat, in response. Dark Russia scowled and pulled the knife out, but extreme caution flashed in his eyes.

"Are you scared?" Belarus asked coldly, a smile playing on her face. She took a step forward, and Dark Russia tensed, eyes darting from her to Russia behind him. "You better be scared." Belarus cooed softly. Her knife blade gleamed wickedly. "Because I will not forgive you for what you have done to Big Brother Russia. You are not him. You are an obstacle between him... _and me_."

For the sake of the readers, the next few minutes of this particular scene must not be repeated, described, nor talked about. Censorship is required for your sake else you wish to end up in the corner of the room, cowering from any slight movement or noise you hear in fear of Belarus.

* * *

><p>North Korea stopped the others from getting too close to the hideout. At least, that's what he thought the hideout was. He shaded his eyes from the snow and looked up at the tower suspiciously. "This can't be it, can it?" he murmured to himself.<p>

"What's wrong, North?" Lithuania asked.

North Korea brandished his arm towards the supposed hideout and said, "This place isn't suitable to be storing weapons of mass destruction. The address must be wrong."

Lithuania held out his hand for the piece of paper Germany had written the address on. North Korea handed it over and Lithuania double checked. "No, it's correct." Lithuania confirmed, passing it back to North Korea.

North Korea sniffed. "Well then. This shouldn't be a challenge. The location of this hideout is a disadvantage for them."

"Who knows. They might, like, totally have something up their sleeves." Poland said, shrugging. He linked arms with Lithuania and started forward. "Come on, Liet. Let's go."

North Korea tensed. "Wait! Don't go yet!"

Poland stopped and sent North Korea a doubtful look. "Why?"

"What do you think?" North Korea asked under his breath. "We can't just barge in like that."

Poland tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You're right. We need to send someone in and, like, totally announce our presence."

"That's not what I was talking about." North Korea snapped. He massaged his the side of his head pensively. "Alright. We need to find a way in that isn't obvious. But in order to do that efficiently, we need to split up."

"No problem then, right?" Estonia asked.

North Korea shook his head. "No. Problem; splitting up is a stupid thing to do in a situation like this."

"Well, what situations would splitting up be the best option in?" Ukraine asked calmly.

"When a group is well prepared, when there are large numbers, when there are specific plans for each group or person that will split from the team, when you are chased by a small number of people, and well, there are several scenarios that splitting up is a good idea." North Korea said. "But this isn't one of them."

He tossed a glance over his shoulder and examined the building once more. Then again, it seemed like they weren't spotted yet. _Of course not. We're hiding around the corner._ North Korea thought. And if they didn't split up, they'd only waste time. If they split into two groups, then their work would go twice as fast.

But there were five of them. One of the groups will have to be a group of two, and after seeing how close Poland was to Lithuania, it was obvious who would be separated into what. That unnerved North Korea, because if Poland was left with Lithuania, would Lithuania be able to control Poland's hyperactivity?

Was it hyperactivity? North Korea wasn't sure. He didn't know everyone's personality as well as, well, everyone else. He knew Russia well, though. But that was decades ago. He didn't change much, however.

Belarus, in his opinion, was obsessed with Russia and North Korea knew that she would be useful. She was gutsy enough to defy the co-captain, and that took sheer bravery.

Or recklessness that would get herself in the worst possible situation. Either one worked.

Ukraine was soft spoken and worried for everyone. Could she be of use to him? He didn't know enough to determine that. Estonia was smart and he heard that he was very lucky. Maybe that luckiness will rub off on them. Lithuania was soft spoken as well, and that was what concerned him if he was to be partnered up with Poland.

"North?"

North Korea blinked and pushed his thoughts away, concentrating on what was currently going on. Lithuania was watching him in concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." North Korea said. He sighed and asked him, "Can you keep him under control if we do split up?"

Lithuania assumed 'him' was a reference to Poland. He smiled at North Korea and said, "You'd be surprised but I think I can."

North Korea cocked an eyebrow at him. "'Think'?

Lithuania hesitated. "Can." he added uncertainly.

"Then sound like you can."

"North, have faith in him." Ukraine interrupted softly. "I have total faith that Lithuania can do it. Right?" She smiled at him. "So, um, are we splitting up?"

North Korea sighed. It was all or nothing, a phrase that was repeated all over Germany's house before the first three teams were sent out. Now that he thought about it, North Korea remembered the forced smiles and the forced determination.

He laughed. He didn't see that coming, to be honest, and neither did the others.

"Why are you laughing?" Estonia asked.

North Korea shook his head, smiling to himself. "Odd how everyone puts up a facade. It's as if we're doing the impossible and there's no hope, and yet everyone still acts like there is."

"No hope." Ukraine whispered. "Do you truly believe there is no hope?"

North Korea and the other three turned their heads to look at Ukraine's sad eyes. Lithuania and Estonia exchanged glances. Poland looked up at the sky silently and North Korea adverted his eyes. "Let's go then." he muttered. "We're splitting up. Don't get too close to the building and when you find a way in, signal us with a whistle or something. Don't get caught or I'll personally see to it that you get the punishment you deserve."

Okay, maybe that was a little to harsh for them. Poland's eyes widened and he tugged at Lithuania's arm all the time as they walked into the alleyway to keep hidden. Estonia and Ukraine were staring at the ground as they walked behind him down another alleyway. They acted like sad puppies that didn't get a belly rub.

"Eyes up or you'll never see things coming." North Korea snapped at them. "You'll regret it if you get hit in the head with a rocket."

He doubted that they would get hit in the head by a rocket, but it could still happen. Anything could happen, now that he knew that mere emotions occupied physical bodies. It stumped him how they obtained physical bodies, however. He had heard rumors from the other countries that the hatred's strong will freed them from their originals. But was that all? Their own freewill got them out?

North Korea accidentally ran into the brick wall of the building in front of him. He staggered backwards, holding his head and scolding himself for not paying more attention to where he was going.

"Are you okay?" Estonia asked.

"I'm fine." North Korea said icily. "No need to worry over small things. Keep going."

From the alleyways, the three could examine the hideout carefully without being spotted. They could only hope that the other two didn't trigger the doppelgangers' attention, but things were very quiet so it was pretty obvious nothing eventful happened.

_That's probably what they want you to think_. North Korea thought bitterly. Honestly, he had to give the doppelgangers props for being able to gather weapons under the countries' noses. And he had to give them props for being able to weaken them to such a state. Surely their armies combined could do something about it.

He questioned Germany's tactics to Estonia and Ukraine and told him what he had just though, sending armies out and all of that.

"That would be the norm." Estonia said, pushing his glasses further up the ridge of his nose. "But for every country, there are usually more citizens than soldiers. Most of everyone's armies are seeing to our people. You've heard that the doppelgangers can bring out the hatred in our own citizens, correct?"

North Korea stopped him. "I can figure the rest out on my own then. I thank you for the Intelligence. I have a much more broader sense of the problem now."

Broader, yes. If the entire world was controlled by their own hatred, then it was reasonable to have armies keep them under control and to prevent them from causing chaos and disorder. North Korea shuddered to think of seven billion people all over the earth causing havoc. They'd fight each other, every single one of them, and cause a World War Three.

North Korea bumped into a lamppost in alarm. As Ukraine asked him if he was alright, he shot a bewildered look to the top of the tower, the top of the Omsk Hideout. Was that what they wanted? A World War Three?

No. Germany said that they wanted to control the world. Wanted to take over for the originals who, supposedly, failed at ruling the world.

Perhaps he was over thinking things.

"North?" Ukraine asked again, only this time her voice was louder and more urgent.

North Korea sent her a glare. "Be quiet." he snapped at her. He sighed and rubbed the spot where he hit his head. "I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"About?" Estonia cocked an eyebrow at him.

"The doppelgangers."

Estonia nodded understandingly. "They're...difficult to interpret."

Silence. North Korea stared up at the tower with Estonia and Ukraine by his side. They stayed there for a while, looking up at the tower. They all saw an air vent on the top and wondered if there was any chance they could get up there and go through the vents. The tower was a giant looming over them; before the doppelgangers occupied it, it was probably a business building for a major corporation or something. In any case, North Korea still couldn't see how or why the enemy made this tower their hideout.

Then, an echoing whistle shrieked from the other side of the street. The three snapped their attention from the roof of the building to the other side. Then they exchanged looks of anticipation.

"Do you think they found a way in?" Ukraine breathed excitedly.

"They have to else they wouldn't signal us!" Estonia said eagerly.

North Korea watched the two grin their grins and sighed. He wished that he had a team with more serious people, but for some odd reason, he felt a small tug at his lips. Did he just smile? When was the last time he smiled?

He forced the small smile away and beckoned for the two. "Quit fooling around. Wipe that silly grin off your faces." he said coldly to them, not wanting to give them the impression that he had softened momentarily.

North Korea led them across the street by ducking behind a car tucked in by the snow and darted to a bus on the other side of the street. There, Lithuania met up with them.

"Where's the other one?" North Korea demanded. "You didn't split up without my approval, did you?"

Lithuania laughed nervously at his fuming anger. "No, no. He's up ahead. There's a manhole there and that will lead us into the sewers. Chances are we can sneak around the city undetected and chances are that we-"

"Can make it into the building." North Korea finished for him. Okay, so he had his opinions about Lithuania altered. Not only was he soft spoken, but rather useful as a scout. He'd have to remember that.

Lithuania paused for a second and said, "There are chances, but I'm not sure how lucky we can get from her on. Should we go down the manhole or look for another way in?"

North Korea sent a look up the street. In the distance, he could make out the faint fuzzy silhouette of Poland crouched down by what he assumed was the manhole. Poland must be hiding behind a tree because he could also make out a narrow tall shadow beside him.

He glanced at his watch that was still set in Germany's time. It was like that so he could tell how long they had been there. Team Three had arrived in Omsk in an hour after departure, which meant that it was one in the morning in Germany's time. Omsk was five hours ahead, meaning they arrived at six in this region of Russia.

They day would be over in eighteen hours, but the doppelgangers weren't going to attack at night. If North Korea had to guess, he'd guess at noon, which left them six hours.

A lot could be done in six hours.

But lose any time and what would happen? He still didn't know too much about the doppelgangers to analyze and predict what would happen.

"North, you like to think a lot, don't you?" Ukraine laughed.

North Korea looked up from his watch and gave Lithuania a curt nod. "We'll take it. We'll go down into the sewers."


	58. Suzhou and Kawasaki: Part IV

Australia and Malaysia returned to the others on the bridge a near half hour later. Despite their urgent news, China practically bit their heads off.

"A whole half hour!" he exclaimed in exasperation. "That's a lot of time wasted, aru!"

"It's only half an hour, mate." Australia said, pulling himself out of the water. He shuddered as the air, cold to his touch, wrapped around him. After spending a lot of time in the water, he was more used to the water's temperature and the air made him regret emerging from the water.

"A half hour that we could have used!" China continued. "Aiya, you better have good news or else, aru."

Malaysia, floating in the water, pointed to the other side of the lake and said, "There's a tunnel designed to transport big things on that side. One of the rivers that carry those boat things around, yeah, the doppelgangers must have made a dam and drain the water out because one part of the river is all dried up. It leads to a tunnel entrance and that's where we think the entrance to the hideout is."

"Bound to be." Australia said in a business-like tone. "The doppelgangers probably built some sort of ramp, stair thing. China, your people were walking down the stairs and into the dried out river and into the entrance."

China paled. "People? _My_ people?"

Australia nodded as Malaysia said, "They all looked angry, like they wanted to rip everyone's throat out-"

China let out a small whimper.

"But the doppelgangers were there and they kept them in check." Malaysia finished seriously. "We have to go stop the doppelgangers, save your people, _and_ disable the weapons. That's a lot to do if you ask me."

"What's our first objective now?" the Philippines asked quietly.

China glanced at her and then back at Australia and Malaysia. He sighed and said, "We're one of the teams who don't have a lot of time. It's almost eight and the sun is out. We don't have many hiding spots now, aru."

Silence. They exchanged glances with each other.

"You two. Come out of the water and dry up." Vietnam said quietly to Australia and Malaysia. "Then you can take us to the entrance. Hopefully we can blend in with the people going in. If it's empty, then we can sneak in. If there are doppelgangers there, we'll run in and find the closest hiding spot." She shaded her eyes from the sun as she inspected the lake carefully. "What's your estimate of the number of regular people in there?"

As Australia extended a hand out for Malaysia to grab onto to hoist him out of the water, he said slowly, "Hundreds at the least." The two climbed over the rail of the bridge and shook off the excess water, showering everyone with the lake water, to which everyone stepped back in alarm.

China crossed his arms and said bitterly, "We'll have to make them our number one priority for now. We can't do much with innocent people in the way, aru."

"So, how much time do you think we have?" Malaysia asked, ruffling his dark wet hair.

"Probably until the afternoon." New Zealand said, handing him his gun back. "Can we do this in time?"

Wy scratched the back of her head, and then she took her ponytail off, brushing her hair with her fingers. Casually, she said, "Why don't we just flood the hideout after we evacuate the place? Destroy the underground hideout by breaking the dome thing you guys found and let the water flood everything in and ruin the weapons. Destroying things that way isn't too hard and it doesn't take much time, does it?"

She froze as everyone stared down at her. Was it a good stare? She wasn't sure. They merely looked at her with their eyes wide open and their mouths slightly gaping.

"Okay, okay, maybe that's a stupid idea." she muttered bitterly, pulling on her hair after she tied her hair back up to tighten it. "Just forget what I said-"

"That's brilliant, aru." China breathed. Then he grinned. "That's a great plan! We just need to get everyone out safely and then cave the hideout in, aru!"

Wy cocked an eyebrow in China's direction and then she yelped a little as Australia lifted her up and spun her around, laughing. "Now that's the Wy I know. Good going!" he praised, holding her up high.

Flushed, Wy demanded to be put down. It was not acceptable to be treated like a little kid in front of the nations. As she was lowered, China ushered everyone off the bridge, saying that they were in broad daylight now. "We have to stay hidden, aru." he said. "Come on."

The newly found entrance was empty. It was both good and bad news for China, because the good thing was that there probably wasn't that many brainwashed people or whatever they were. The bad? There was nothing to fit into.

"Unless we turn invisible, then we fit right in just fine." New Zealand mused.

"Well we're not magicians like England." China murmured. "We're just going to have to proceed with caution, aru. I'll take lead. Australia, you're the tallest one of us all. Take the back and warn us if someone is coming. Wy, you're in the very middle, aru. Everyone else...just stay somewhere in between."

"That sounds somewhat reassuring." the Philippines said. "Do you have a plan for what we might encounter soon?"

"I'm working on it, aru. But due to the fact we're short on time, I'm thinking it up as we go along." China told her. "Alright, let's go everyone, aru."

Team Five gave China a cautious glance and then a somewhat reluctant one towards the tunnel entrance. "It's...sanitary, right?" Wy asked slowly.

"How should I know, aru?" China shrugged. "Come _on_."

The tunnel was dark and uncomfortably moist. They had to repress a shudder every time their foot brushed by something slippery and slimy. Algae? Probably. Seaweed? China said that during monsoon season, there were a lot of things that washed into the riverbanks.

The further they ventured and the further they were from the sun outside, the darker it became. They slowed a little when they couldn't see even each others' silhouettes. "I have a bad feeling about this, China." Vietnam murmured.

"Usually in movies, this is the time when the bad guys attack." Australia said from behind. "We can't see a thing and for all we know we might be watched."

"I thought only America would make a reference to movies at a time like this." Malaysia mused. "And if we can't see anything, they can't either you know."

"They're doppelgangers, Malaysia." the Philippines said seriously. "They could have night-vision goggles or something. They're crafty like that."

"Hm, true..."

China was about to silence them but he let out a small exhale of breath in alarm as his foot dropped. He calmed himself down when he figured that the path was sloping downwards, meaning that they were finally beginning the descent underneath the lake.

The team trudged along ever so carefully, wondering if they should really trust their ears. They picked up a whooshing noise right above them and they could make out the _squish_ of their feet pressing off from the damp ground. Somewhere in the distance, water dripped from the top of the tunnel and made a _plip plop _sound. That leak must have been there for a while because normally water didn't make a sound when they fall onto dirt. There was probably a small puddle under it, creating that distracting noise.

Surprisingly, they made it into the hideout without any event. They even made it in all in one piece.

"Well that was easy. But would it kill them to put some lights in that tunnel? Honestly..." Wy pouted, blinking her eyes as they adjusted to the light.

They were in a long, wide hall with high ceilings. The white lights above them flickered a little, and at the end of the hall they could see in the distance a line of people walking on a metal walkway suspended above conveyor belts that carried scarps of metal from one side to the other. As they approached slowly in awe, they saw that the room was enormous, and that there were several other metal walkways above the one they first saw.

"It's like a weapons factory here." the Philippines whispered.

"Well it _is_ China after all." Vietnam sighed. "Mass production is his thing, and so it must be his doppelganger's thing too."

China sent her a cocked eyebrow and then he did a double take. "Aiya, what is _that_?" he whispered in horror, pointing to the boxy mechanisms strapped to the backs of his people.

"They look like explosives." New Zealand said.

"How do you know, aru?"

New Zealand jerked his head to a safety poster plastered on the wall behind them. There was a diagram of the boxy explosive and the straps and a set of safety procedures underneath it. Below the safety procedures there was a big, red, and bold, _**THESE WILL EXPLODE IF YOU DISOBEY OR TRY TO ESCAPE**_ underlined three times, followed by three fat exclamation points.

"Well gee, thanks for the warning." Malaysia muttered under his breath. "Now what? Now they have explosives on their backs. If we evacuate _this_ many people, the doppelgangers will notice and start blowing them up."

"Would they even blow everyone up in risk of blowing the entire hideout up?" Australia asked.

"Depends on how strong the explosive is." Vietnam reasoned. "It may be strong enough to kill but weak enough to harm only the person the explosive is strapped to."

"How gruesome..." the Philippines shuddered.

"So...any ideas?" New Zealand asked, heaving a sigh.

China scanned the room for a while, then he tensed and hissed, "We need to get out of here, now, aru!"

"Why?" Australia asked.

"Doppelgangers are right above us."

"What?" Australia and the others glanced up. Sure enough, there was a walkway above them as well. Twenty feet up, Dark Cambodia, Dark Bhutan, and Dark Tajikistan stood together, overseeing the process the people had. Like Malaysia had said, China's people looked like they wanted to tear everyone else apart. They could tell just by looking into their eyes. Of course, the doppelgangers must have kept their hate down a bit so they wouldn't; they were needed for something, and that something looked like building weapons.

"We're gonna be here for a while." Wy sighed as they inched along the wall, heads pointing upwards towards the doppelgangers in case if the enemy suddenly looked down towards them.

* * *

><p>The room was dark when Japan's Team Four rushed in. Japan closed the door the moment he, the last person in, stepped foot inside the room. The brief light that shone through the door when they piled in didn't give the first few people a good look at the place, and by the time Japan closed out the light, they stood in silence. Listening to the people outside, searching for them, they knew they didn't have much time before they start searching the rooms.<p>

"Where's the light?" Taiwan whispered.

"I have no idea." Seychelles whispered back. "I don't want to move though, because I don't want to accidentally set something off."

"Me either, da-ze." Korea said seriously. "I died so many times in my games if I move a little bit-"

"For the last time, we're not talking about games." Japan sighed wearily.

"Yeah, but some games actually teach you how to survive, da-ze."

"Is there anything from your games that we can, like, do here right now?" Hong Kong asked.

Though it was pitch black in the room, they could practically see Korea's face brighten up as he exclaimed, "I got it!"

"Shhhhh!" Japan hushed Korea, facing his general direction.

"Sorry." Korea whispered. They were silent for a few seconds, and when the door didn't swing open, Korea continued. "You know how we couldn't get into the vents earlier because it took too much time, right? Well now we have some time and we can get back into the vents, da-ze."

Silence.

Then Thailand asked, "How is that relevant to your games, ana?"

Korea sighed. "Um, well...actually, it isn't. _But_! Clearly..._clearly_...there will come a time when my gaming experience will come in handy, da-ze."

Greece finally got the courage to move and find the light switch. It alarmed Japan a second after he realized that the light in the room would probably show underneath the crack of the door. After he ordered Thailand, Korea, and Seychelles to find a way to block out any cracks in the door that could give away their position, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Greece were scrambling around the room, looking for the air vent.

"Japan, I found it." Greece said from the corner of the room, shifting a desk away from the wall. "We can all fit in it."

"Good job, Greece." Japan said, nodding. "Can you get the grille off?"

The slits in the grille were too narrow for Greece to fit his fingers through them, and so Taiwan tried. "The tips of my fingers can only fit. I can't get a grip of it." she sighed, tugging futilely.

Japan shrugged off his backpack for the crowbar he had thought to bring along. He reasoned that moving through the air vents would be vital for their mission and the crowbar was how the team got into the air vents in the first place.

"Hurry, Japan." Seychelles said urgently in a small voice. "I can hear them coming."

In the silence that followed, they made out several footsteps nearing their door, voices calling down the hall. Japan darted to the corner of the room with the crowbar and with Greece's help, the two pried the grille from the opening. As Greece stowed the crowbar back into Japan's backpack, Japan told him to get the flashlights in the second compartment of the backpack.

"How many?" asked Greece.

"Three, at least three."

Greece handed one to Japan, another to Hong Kong, and held the last one as he hurriedly zipped the second compartment up.

"Someone turn off the lights." Taiwan whispered.

Thailand reached over Korea's head and flipped the switch down. They were in the darkness again, but the dimness was short-lived because Japan, Hong Kong, and Greece turned their flashlights on.

Korea let out a low whistle. "You really think of everything, don't you Japan, da-ze?"

"For the sake of the team, I have to consider everything." Japan answered.

"Do you have money on you, da-ze? I saw a vending machine downstairs and I'm kinda hungry-"

"Oh stop the silliness, Korea, ana." Thailand chided him. "Come on. We have to get going, ana."

"Greece, please lead the way. Go in first." Japan told Greece.

Greece nodded and Taiwan moved out of the way for him. As Greece fitted himself into the air vent, Seychelles asked, "Who's next? Japan, have you thought up of some sort of system or...?"

She let the question hang in the air for a few seconds, watching Japan's face. Japan was going to say that the girls should go last because, again, he felt that it was unacceptable for the others to be behind them for obvious reasons. But their safety would be at risk if they escaped last because who knew when the doppelgangers and the corrupted people would burst through the door.

Japan glanced at Korea, who raised an eyebrow. "What, da-ze?"

"Korea, you go next." Japan said, pointing to the air vent.

Korea nodded and got down on his knees, crawling in after Greece. Japan ordered Taiwan and Seychelles in next, and then Hong Kong and Thailand.

The doorknob rattled. Thailand, who was the second to last, hurriedly glanced at Japan with alarmed eyes. "Ana, hurry, Japan!"

"Yes, yes, I know." Japan said, his heart pounding. Before Korea, Thailand, and Seychelles left their post at the door, they propped a chair or two against the door to prevent an immediate door swing if the doppelgangers happened to try the door.

Japan heard the wood of the door split in half and he could see light rays shine through the huge crack. A harsh voice said, "Don't destroy the door, Indonesia's hatred."

"Japan, ana!" Thailand whispered urgently.

Japan picked up the grille and fitted it back in. He saw Thailand's golden eyes widen in alarm as he shot a glance over his shoulders. "What are you doing, ana?" he whispered in horror.

His whisper attracted Hong Kong's attention and Japan could heard Hong Kong asked, "What's happening?"

Japan merely lifted a finger to his lips to tell Thailand to be quiet. He only hoped Thailand could get the others to quiet down as well. Hurriedly, he scooted the desk back into place and stepped up onto it, starting to fit himself in the corner. He applied pressure on both hands and feet as he climbed up, situating himself close to the ceiling.

He risked his footing as he lifted a hand to push the ceiling tile up. The tile shifted away and left an opening in the ceiling, to which Japan continued to climb into. The lights in the room flashed open by the time he managed to get the ceiling tile to close over the gap.

Japan stayed still, breathing heavily in the hot air, crouched underneath huge tubes and pipes, careful not to get tangled in the wiring above the room. He could hear the doppelgangers pile into the room, stepping over the now broken door. He applauded himself for being able to escape undetected, even though his escape was much different from the others.

He waited for the doppelgangers to leave, and they nearly did until Dark Indonesia said, "Wait, look at that."

Japan bit his lips and waited, frozen. What did Dark Indonesia see? Oh, if only Japan was able to move and crawl to safety, but the ceiling tiles were weak and couldn't hold his weight. The frame that held them up wasn't as strong either; it was enough to have Japan sit on them but it was another thing if he crawled along them. And crawling on them would make too much noise anyway.

Japan wished that he continued his stealth training; he didn't think that he'd need it anymore in this century. He regretted dropping that subject.

"The desk is at an angle." Dark Indonesia murmured to some other doppelgangers or people that were probably behind him.

There was a small silence that followed, and then Dark Mongolia said quietly, "There's no visible air vent here. We know they traveled through them when they got here, right? Are they that desperate to use them again?"

"And after the rats we sent up there?" Dark Philippines added.

Another silence. Then Dark Mongolia said calmly, "Move the desk. Let's see where they are this time."

A cold bolt of fear struck Japan and carried the paralyzing fear through his veins. Did Thailand and the others sneak away to safety? Or did they stay there quietly, hoping the enemy would leave and have Japan return to them?

Japan heard the desk being moved away and he heard the metal grille fall out of its place. After a snort of amusement, Japan heard Dark Mongolia say quietly, "This will be a fun game of cat and mouse. Half of you will chase and find them in the vents. The other half will be spread across the building. If you find them, stop them from escaping- hold them in place if you must- and call us. We'll locate you in the vent and we'll capture them."

_This is not good. Half of them? Half of the people standing in that room or half of the people in the whole building? Either way, there was a lot of people chasing after us so they'll be captured eventually. And knowing that they did send up the rats, they'll probably send something else. And the noises the team makes reacting to whatever the doppelgangers send up next, they'll be found for sure._ Japan thought miserably.

"Oh? Looks, there's a footprint on the desk." Dark Mongolia said, sending a horrifying shock to Japan. "And if you look closely, you can see barely noticeable imprints on the wall. Could some of them be up in the ceiling?"

Okay. There was bad, but this was worse. Now all of them would be captured, instead of all but one. If all but one was tied up, there was a chance of escaping. But if Japan was taken as well...

Could he move? He had too; there was no point in stealth anymore. They knew he was there. What's the point in staying?

He gritted his teeth as the ceiling tile he had pushed away started to move. They were going to find him one way or another. Japan would have to postpone his capture in hopes he could save the others.

He clench his flashlight between his teeth and crawled away into shadows, hoping that whoever was trying to find him wouldn't be able to make out his figure in the dark behind the huge metal tube. Japan pressed a hand against the tube to see if it would hold his weight. When he saw that it would do, he climbed on top of it and waited. The rectangular block of light drew his attention to the spot he was at earlier. He saw a hand grope around for a while, and then it retracted.

Silence. Japan guessed that they were peering up there. After a minute of silence, Dark Mongolia murmured, "We'll worry about them later. We have to find the ones in the vents first. Then we'll take care of the ones in the ceiling."

Japan smiled to himself. They thought that the team split. The truth was, they did, but they didn't know that only one strayed from the rest. Was that a good thing? To have the enemy think that there was more far from their reach for now?

It would have to do, because right now, Japan had more freedom than the others. The problem? He'd have to continue on all by himself.


	59. The Suzhou Hideout: Part V

China led his team through the closest hallway and into the first dark, empty room. While he scoured the room for potential security cameras and bugs, Australia and Wy barricaded the door with spare chairs, just in case someone happened to come into the room.

"Okay, let us think a while." Malaysia murmured, taking a seat around the table in the middle of the room. "What do we know now?"

"The hideout is underwater so we can easily destroy the place and the weapons by flooding it." the Philippines said, taking the chair next to him.

"The people affected by the doppelgangers are strapped to explosives." Vietnam added. "And they are all probably building weapons."

"Yes, they are." New Zealand said, walking over to the end of the room. There was a world map that was rolled down from the top of the blackboard; there were several yellow sticky notes posted all over the map. New Zealand pointed to one in particular and murmured, "All the supplies they need to build weapons come from these countries that the notes refer to. America, Russia, Germany...several others..."

"See? Mass production." Vietnam sighed.

"How is it that you find information so quickly?" Australia asked New Zealand. "First that poster and now this..."

New Zealand shrugged.

When China deemed the room free of cameras and recording devices, he said in a low voice, "Now that I know my people-my heart and _soul_- are being captured and treated this way to make weapons to destroy the world, I can not let that happen, aru!"

"So would you let the doppelgangers destroy the world if your people weren't in danger?" Wy asked, placing her hands on her small hips.

China groaned, "You know what I mean, aru."

"Are there any instructions in the room that will tell us how to deactivate the explosives?" Australia asked, shooting a look towards New Zealand, who stared back at him.

No one responded verbally; instead they went to work and rummaged through drawers and scattered papers left on the table. Malaysia and New Zealand sorted through the papers but were disappointed to find that they were merely assembly directions for whatever weapons they were making.

"It can still come in handy though." Vietnam told them as she held Wy up by the waist for her to search for secret compartments in the wall. "It might tell us how to destroy them later."

"I thought we were flooding them place." Wy said, stopping her search for a while.

"Oh, that's right." Vietnam suddenly said. She was quiet for a while, and then she suggested that they keep it in case the flooding idea didn't work out.

While Malaysia pocketed the directions in his backpack, China looked at the door in alarm, completely frozen. He could have sworn he heard something outside the door and he waved the others down at once. With everyone glued to their spot, eyes hovering on the doorknob as if daring it to turn, they waited for a few tense moments.

The doorknob rattled at first, and everyone hissed at once, getting ready to either hide or fight back. Though fighting back would lead to their discovery and perhaps a full-scale battle with practically everyone present in the hideout, there wasn't much they could do since hiding within a split second's warning was physically impossible.

But before the door could swing in and hit the barricade, a harsh voice stopped the person opening the door. "What are you doing? That's the wrong room."

"Is it?" the person asked. The doorknob stopped rattling but the countries didn't dare move. Any slight sound they made would most likely stop the two people out in the hall and they'd come in to investigate. If they were doppelgangers, that would be troublesome and they couldn't be taken out so easily and quietly. But the voices didn't ring a bell to any of them so they assumed they were just some of China's people.

The footsteps went away and blissful silence took over once again. Just to be safe, they stayed frozen like statues for another five minutes before cautiously moving.

"Okay...that was close. We need to think of a plan if we are discovered, aru." China sighed, straightening his posture.

"Don't we just run?" Wy asked, stretching.

"What if we _can't_ run?" Malaysia asked.

While Wy remained silent, China said, "Exactly. We can't always run. If we are discovered and we can't run, then we'll have to play along with them. They won't kill us so we'll be relatively safe, aru."

"Relatively? That sounds convincing." Vietnam sighed. "Actually, I think that if we play along with them, they'll limit our movements enough so that we can't escape. They are very careful."

"Careful, and yet we somehow made it this far." China said pointedly. "Just follow my lead, aru." China beckoned for everyone to follow him. His team exchanged looks with each other and then they gave China a stunned look as he started to tear down the barricade.

"What are you doing?" Australia whispered as China scooted the chairs out of the way. "Are you planning to go out there, mate? That's suicide."

"Our first priority is to save the people." China said, pushing another chair from the door. "The explosives are in the way, but surely we can take them off, aru. The doppelgangers that are watching everyone...we'll have to take them out if we want to get to the people."

China paused his work for a while, and then he rubbed his chin pensively. "Australia and the Philippines, take out the three doppelgangers near the entrance we came through. Malaysia and New Zealand, patrol the other side. Vietnam and Wy, follow me, aru."

By the time the path to the door was cleared out, they split up without another word. Instead, they exchanged glances; they weren't sure when they'd meet up next time, they might not even see each other until the mission was over or until they get captured. Either way, they were sure to meet again.

* * *

><p>Australia and the Philippines retraced their steps and sought out the stairs that led to the walkways. Of course, Germany had mentioned that if the doppelgangers could direct a person's hatred towards something specific, and he feared that they directed people's hatred towards the countries themselves.<p>

Australia and the Philippines had no idea of the corrupted people would attack them on sight, even if they had a job to do. Even if they did have a job to do, they stayed hidden behind a large fan-like machine as they scanned for a stairwell.

As time passed, they already pieced together the basic system of the stairwells and the walkways. There were certain paths to take to get to the next level and to get to the first level, they saw a lift that would take them upwards.

That was the problem. Lifts would attract attention, and to ride one discreetly was impossible in a place like that. Or was it possible because the sound of a lift would be normal in a factory type setting that no one would even glance up to see who was riding it. Surely plenty of people ride it all the time and the people wouldn't look because it would be a pain to keep glancing in that direction every time it moved.

"Well, that way will either get us in trouble before we even started or help us out a lot." Australia said to the Philippines. "What do you think we should do?"

"They can't start without us." the Philippines said reasonably. "With those three doppelgangers watching everything, they can't start to get the explosives off."

They exchanged a brief glance and then started looking around some more.

The Philippines saw that there were plenty of things to climb on and jump off of. Surely if they were fast, careful, and precise, they would be able to get to the first walkway using parkour. The only risks were getting caught and missing the destination; she knew that one slip of the foot would cause them to jump the wrong way or fall and draw attention.

She told Australia her idea and wondered if it was better than the lift. Australia, being one of the most adventurous, obviously wanted to do parkour. "It's a good idea." he said earnestly. "Have you figured out a route we can take?"

The route took a mere minute to devise. There was a rail that ran around the work areas and the Philippines said that the rails could be their first step to the walkway. It would take a while to get to the walkway without being noticed because the rail was a mere three and a half foot tall; the walkway was twenty feet above the floor.

But there were plenty of things around that they could use as a stepping stone. Australia pointed out a forklift sitting idly a few feet away from the rails on the opposite side of the room. "We can jump onto the forklift and continue on." he said. "We can gain high ground from that forklift if we get to the top."

"By then, would they spot us?" the Philippines asked nervously. "They'll have to see us if we do that."

"Well, if we do it quick enough the doppelgangers won't see us coming. They won't have the time to brace themselves, you know?" Australia said. "And China's people, well, they're working. They won't leave their posts, will they?"

The Philippines considered the odds for a few moments, and then she said slowly, "I guess we'll have to find that out later."

Australia grinned. "That's how I usually do it. Now, let's see. The rails to the forklift...then where?"

The forklift was high enough for the two of them to jump up to a hook dangling from the ceiling. What the hook was for, it didn't matter. Australia gave the Philippines a side glance and grinned. The Philippines only stared at the hook and then at Australia.

"No, we'll be seen if we use that hook to swing onto the platform." she said at once.

"See any other way?"

"Um, no, but..." The Philippines faltered, lost for words.

Silence. Under Australia's 'Well? What do you think?' look, she sighed and agreed. "Fine. We'll swing from the hook. But if you get injured by it don't come back crying to me. Who's going first?"

Australia brandished his arms towards the rails and the forklift. "Ladies first."

The Philippines raised an eyebrow at first but after seeing China's figure in the background hurriedly trying to usher them on to do their job, she nodded. The Philippines peered out from the fan-like machine and scanned the open area before slinking towards the rails. For a split second, she feared that the doppelgangers would notice such suspicious activities since their had a height advantage but she heard no angry yell or sudden uproar.

Australia trailed after her after a few cautious seconds. They both huddled behind boxes stacked on a wooden platform, hearts beating a little faster and breaths starting to become a little strained. Though they merely snuck out from their last hiding place, they couldn't help but feel overly-cautious and nervous. If they were spotted, it was all over.

They only stayed in their place for a brief second before slinking away again. The Philippines scanned the area in front of her with her eyes before deeming it safe to move on. Australia crouched down at the next hiding spot and glanced behind his right shoulder to make sure they were still safe.

He heard a soft, muffled metallic ring one would hear if someone suddenly jumped on a metal railing or something of the sort. Australia glanced back at the Philippines and saw her leap up to the forklift in such a speed that he was completely reassured that she'd make it to the walkway without any problems.

The Philippines could have sworn she'd slip and fall when she landed lightly on the forklift, but when she found that she was still climbing up and towards the rope and hook dangling down just a few feet away. She would fit her foot on the hook and swing to the walkway and by the time the doppelgangers see her, she would already be heading over to them and giving them a piece of her mind.

The only problem was that they already saw her before she reached the rope.

The Philippines noticed that they had seen her when she swung herself towards the walkway. She landed with a loud metallic clang, so it was impossible to hide her presence; she could imagine China starting to freak out right about then but she pushed the thought of a panicky China away and faced her opponents, who were unusually casual as they approached her.

Australia joined her within a few seconds; the corrupted people from below didn't bother them at all. In fact, they didn't even look up at them; they truly were like robots.

"Only you two?" Dark Cambodia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What? You make it sound like we're not worth the trouble." Australia grinned, cracking his knuckles as the Philippines slid a foot behind her into a readying stance in case if a fight broke out sooner than she would expect.

"You aren't." Dark Bhutan murmured.

All at once, as if the three doppelgangers were sharing their thoughts, they lunged at once and even Australia had a flash of surprise on his face. He and the Philippines were barely able to block the sudden attacks. The doppelgangers were strong and combined, they were very capable of making the two countries shift backwards in order to avoid getting hit.

It only took Australia and the Philippines a few seconds to realize that the doppelgangers were playing with them. Dark Bhutan and Dark Cambodia would exchange grins as Dark Tajikistan bombarded Australia and the Philippines with swift punches and kicks.

They'd take turns mocking the two, but it didn't last very long. The Philippines must have gotten tired of their antics because she caught Dark Cambodia's ankle when he kicked up at her and, left hand gripping the ankle and the right holding the knee firmly, pressed down until she heard a satisfying snap.

Dark Cambodia's face contorted into deep distaste as his leg snapped in half. This made the other two doppelgangers sneer but they did nothing. Their red eyes, once burning with sadistic glee, mellowed to an intense, collected glare.

They were finally serious.

"Let's go back to what you thought before, shall we?" the Philippines asked calmly. "I wonder if we're suddenly worth the trouble now. What do you think, Australia?"

Australia smirked. "I think we'll find out soon."

* * *

><p>Malaysia and New Zealand were watching Australia and the Philippines from the other side of the factory-like room. Though they were supposed to patrol their side, there was nothing to keep an eye out for over there. Truth be told, they found the fight on the other side more interesting.<p>

It was only then when China, giving them the look from his hiding spot on the ground floor, bewilderingly urged them on that they finally shuffled away from the rails and down along the walls of the room.

Many of China's people noticed them, and both countries could see clouded distaste fogged up in their eyes. However, they did not attack them out of cold blood because fear cloaked over their hate in their eyes.

"Fear?" New Zealand murmured to himself as he inspected the faces of the people filing by orderly in the distance. "Those explosives must make them cautious. It keeps their hate under control."

"Isn't that what the doppelgangers are supposed to do? Keep their hate under control?" Malaysia asked quietly.

"There are so many people and only a limited number of doppelgangers. They might not be able to do it all at once. And if they can, then maybe they can enforce some kind of fear into them to prevent them from making reckless things out of hatred."

Malaysia was silent for a moment. With a heavy sigh, he ran a hand through his dark hair and said, "Enforce fear, huh? Don't tell me that our emotion of fear can escape too, can it?"

"At this point, who knows." New Zealand answered grimly.

They didn't want to linger on the possibility that other emotions could gain physical bodies as well; one emotion was already a huge handful.

* * *

><p>China was satisfied that New Zealand and Malaysia had been able to get to the other side without being spotted. He noticed that none of the people had attacked them, which was good because it made their jobs so much easier.<p>

The fighting above on the walkway was still continuing, and even though he had no idea who was winning, China decided to go ahead and free his people anyway; he could not wait and miss out on this opportunity.

"But when they figured out that the explosives aren't threatening them anymore, wouldn't they use the hatred they held back on you?" Vietnam asked him quietly, grabbing onto his sleeve before China could get too far from her and Wy.

"It's worth a shot, isn't it, aru?"

China's determined look in his eyes came off seriously. There were many types of determination; there was the foolishly determined (like America), the pervertedly determined (like France), the insanely determined (like Belarus going after Russia), the honorably determined (like Japan), and several other kinds. The kind of determination in China's eyes was the "Let-me-go-so-I-can-save-my-people" kind of determination, one of the most admirable kinds of determinations found in every country.

Vietnam released her grip on China's sleeve and, after a brief moment of consideration, nodded at him. "Fine. We'll free them of the explosives."

China's eyes gleamed and he nodded back at her. "I'll take the left side of the room. Vietnam, take middle. Wy, take right."

The three scattered and began their work freeing the corrupted people from their explosive burden. They kept a wary eye on the fight above every other few seconds to make sure the doppelgangers were occupied enough to not notice them. China would throw a glance towards New Zealand and Malaysia, who were making sure that no other doppelgangers could get into the room by blockading the entrances.

Assuming that they'd use the whistle system from before to alert them all if anything happened, China was sure they were able to hold their ground for a while.

* * *

><p>The Philippines panted heavily as she slipped back into her original stance, suspiciously eying the doppelgangers that she and Australia managed to disable by tying them up with their nylon ropes. They made a huge fuss over it, and now that the three were tightly roped together, dangling from the metal rail uttering a steady stream of hissing curse, she and Australia could finally move on.<p>

"Ahh, that last kick shattered my wrist..." Australia sucked in air as he lifted his left arm to examine his battered hand. It was blue and black and purple covered with a flowing river of red blood. The Philippines contorted her face slightly at the sight of Australia's bone poking out of the heavily bruised flesh; it was not a pretty sight.

"Is that the only major wound or are there more?" the Philippines asked him, rushing forward to examine his wrist.

Australia laughed nervously. "Ah, don't worry about it. This is the only thing I'm concerned about. All the other cuts and bruises can wait."

The Philippines quickly created a split for Australia and bounded his wrist to it, ignoring his abrupt grimaces and heavy breathing accompanied by gritting teeth. Finishing up, she sighed and said, "That will do for now. We have to keep going though; can you make it?"

Australia grinned at her, but his grin wasn't as shining as his others. "It's nothing at all. What's a shattered wrist after all?"

The two ran along the walkway and joined New Zealand and Malaysia on the other side. Malaysia was propping a large table across an entrance to a hallway when they approached him; New Zealand was right behind him rolling a whiteboard on wheels after him.

"China might need your help." Malaysia said grimly. "There must be hundreds of people here and only three countries to get rid of the explosives? That will take forever."

"Australia can't really do much with only one hand." the Philippines said, nodding at Australia. "How hard is it to remove an explosive from their backs?"

"They are strapped onto people." New Zealand answered, fitting the whiteboard across another entrance. "It might take five to ten seconds depending on how fast you move."

"It seems like the people don't attack even after you take the explosives off of them." Australia noted, leaning over the rail to catch a glimpse of Wy freeing a young woman. "It doesn't seem dangerous, and one hand is better than none. Let's go help them out, Philippines."

"Go on ahead you two." New Zealand added, briskly walking into a room for more furniture and items to block the entrances. "We'll finish up here. Remember, there's only one exit from this room after we're done, and it's the way we came from. We'll lead them out there and then we'll flood the place, thus destroying everything."

"You know, the doppelgangers chose a very bad place to make a hideout." the Philippines mused as she and Australia thundered down the stairs and towards the lift on the first level of the walkways.

"Maybe there's some sort of advantage here." Australia reasoned.

"Like what?"

Silence.

"I didn't think so either." the Philippines grinned.

China glanced up at the lift as it carried the two down to the ground level. He beckoned for them urgently. "Good, you defeated the do-_aiya_!" China's eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of Australia's left wrist. "What happened, aru?"

"Long story." Australia said. "Well, actually, no, it isn't. You see, Dark Bhutan is pretty fast, right? So he caught me off-guard and kicked me. Luckily I was able to shift to the side a little so it didn't break my ribs. It caught me at my wrist instead so it could have been worse, haha!"

"That's not something to laugh about, aru." China sighed, but he gave Australia a grateful smile. "I'm just glad to hear you're still up. Even with one hand, I know what you can do."

Australia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And that is...?"

"Gather all the people who are free from the explosive and lead them out of here, aru." China said at once. "Take them across the street and fill them into the shops and buildings. If they start to fight, break them up. If they start to attack you, find a way to control them, aru."

"You do realize that there's only one Australia, right?" the Philippines said wearily. "How can he keep track of all of them?"

"He's Australia, aru." China said. "He'll find a way. He always finds a way, right, aru?"

"You can count on me, captain!" Australia said, giving China a small salute. He glanced at the people who were freed and asked China in a lower voice, "Are they sane at least? They understand human words, right?"

"Even if they do, they won't understand you anyway. They speak Chinese, aru." China said, waving his hand at Australia as if it was no big deal. "They're sane, for now. It seems as if the hatred in them is gone for now. They're only confused, aru."

"Wait..." the Philippines halted Australia before he could leave them. "If they're sane, why don't you tell them to help free the others?"

China stared at the Philippines for a moment. She stared back. Australia glanced between the two and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Huh...well in the midst of adventure and excitement, some people don't realize the easy way out, huh? You're pretty clever, Philippines."

"Clever? She's brilliant!" China exclaimed. "Aiya, why didn't I think of that before, aru?" He turned to a group of his people and started to hurriedly speak to them in Chinese. Their blank expressions slowly turned into those of disbelief, fear, and then, at long last, agreement before they scattered and got busy.

"Good, good, this is going out great." China said in approval. "Maybe I'll let you have one of the islands in the South China Sea-"

"What do you mean 'let me have'? I claimed them!" the Philippines exclaimed.

"But they're in my sea, aru."

"I'm closer to them."

"They're in the South _China _Sea, aru."

"But I _claimed_ them."

"So did I, aru."

Before the Philippines could retort back, Australia cleared his throat and said, "Well, I'll be off to help Malaysia and New Zealand. They might need some help, y'know?" He backed away and returned to the lift. As it raised him up slowly, he watched as people bustled about, discarding the explosives carefully by...well, Australia wasn't sure if storing them along the more emptier side of the place was safe enough.

_Why waste them and store them away when we can probably use them to break open that glass dome thing to flood the hideout? _Australia suddenly thought. He'd have to remember to tell China to save them.

When Australia returned to New Zealand and Malaysia, the two countries were somewhat troubled. "What's wrong?" Australia asked them.

"We just had a thought." Malaysia said slowly. He shot a sideways glance to the blocked hallways on the level they were standing on and then up and down to the levels above and below them. "We've only been in this place, but how do we know there aren't more people in the other places? Only three doppelgangers were here to watch over the people here, but there's got to be dozens more around here."

Australia frowned. "Now that you mentioned it, I saw Dark India and Dark Thailand earlier when I found that glass dome thing. They were in what looked like a library and got some books. I have no idea what that meant."

New Zealand exchanged a concerned look with Malaysia. "I wonder what that was about..." New Zealand murmured.

Malaysia's frown deepened a little. "We should go investigate. China!" He called over the rails and down towards the captain. As China glanced up at him, Malaysia continued, "New Zealand and Australia are going to go investigate something for a bit. We think it's important. Do we have your permission to go?"

"Do you have your supplies with you, aru?" China called up.

"We do now." New Zealand said to Malaysia, who had glanced back at him for confirmation. "I brought out backpacks up here while we were blocking the entrances."

"Yes, we have them!" Malaysia called back down.

China squinted up at him for a moment. Then he sighed and said, "Go, but don't take too long, aru!"

"We'll be back within a half hour. If not, then an hour." Malaysia said earnestly. He didn't stick around long enough to watch China's reaction to see if a half hour or a full hour was satisfying enough. It would soon be late morning, and for all they know, the attack could start at any time. In fact, the hideout in Japan would most likely be the one to worry about the most at that time since the time was ahead of every other hideout.

And then Suzhou was the next to worry about.

"You know..." New Zealand was saying as the three slipped through a blockade, sealing it back up. "What will we do if we find more people?"

"Then we call China and see what we'll have to do." Malaysia said. "But if we can't then I guess we're going to have to find something that controls the explosives. If the doppelgangers are supposed to blow one up manually if someone misbehaves, then how do they do it? Remote control? Whatever it is, we'll have to find it and figure out how to use it."

"Sounds like a plan. Should we capture a doppelganger and torture it for information then?" Australia asked.

"Torture it? Don't they heal though?" New Zealand asked incredulously.

"Kindness, remember?"

"Oh, I forgot about that." New Zealand laughed. "Alright then. Let's go capture a doppelganger."


	60. The Edinburgh Hideout: Part II

Scotland had crossed his arms defiantly, sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the left wall of his cell. England couldn't tell how long he could have been stuck there, but he assumed the his brother had been captured for a long time because his red hair was tousled and messy and his expression, though traces of a small smirk remained, was tired and worn.

The two brothers gave each other a brief look-over with their eyes before sighing simultaneously. "Now what are _you_ doing here?" they both asked wearily.

"Me?" they both questioned the other. "What do you _think_?"

"I'm stuck here." Scotland scoffed as England sneered, "I'm saving your arse."

Silence. Then the two brothers sighed again. Denmark ended up laughing and said, "No wonder you two are brothers!"

"And what about us, now?" another voice asked from behind Scotland. Scotland turned his head towards the shadows of his cell.

Smiling to himself, Scotland glanced back up at a bewildered England and said casually, "Aye, don't forget about them you British edjit."

England squinted at the darkness for a while. Scotland clicked his tongue and threw a look over his shoulder again. "Come on out. He can't see ya if you hide."

England felt the rest of his team crowd around him to take a closer look into the cell. In the dimness their eyes gazed past Scotland and landed on three other faded silhouettes casually scooting forward. Ireland, North Ireland, and Wales blinked up at England as England blinked back at them.

"Got yourselves caught too?" England asked, trying to sound matter of fact but in reality he struggled to keep a calm composure, out the five, only England managed to escape the doppelgangers without getting locked up.

Well, no, that wasn't true, because he was trapped in Chicago. At least he got away, he decided.

"Aw shut it." Ireland groaned. "Get us out already, won't you?"

England crossed his arms. As much as he'd love to leave his older brothers in the cell and taunt them a little more (when was the last time he did that?), they were running out of time. Dark Norway would return and notice the guards were gone. Knowing how doppelgangers were clever, Dark Norway would make a connection.

"Stand back." England said to his brothers. The four of them inside the cell exchanged glances before scrambling away from the bars. Tossing a glance to Denmark and Iceland from behind, England said, "Would you gentlemen like to help me?"

"Someone's got to catch the bolts that might fall off when we pull the bars away." Denmark said, stepping forward to get a grip on the left side of the bars while Iceland reluctantly grabbed the right. Finland, Liechtenstein, Sealand, and Ladonia all took a small step back to allow room for the three to work.

England nodded at him. "Right. I-"

"Ladonia and I can handle that." Sealand said excitedly, though he was a bit too loud to England's taste.

England and the others grimaced and shot a cautious stare down the darkened hall for a moment before moving again. "Be more quiet, won't you?" England scolded Sealand quietly. "If you keep it up, you'll doom us all."

"Sorry," Sealand whispered in alarm as if he just realized the possible consequences.

Denmark, England, and Iceland tested the bars for the first few seconds to see if there were any weak points. When none was found, they started to pull slowly... gradually. Their hands were in the upper part of the bars, focusing their strength to the top. The metal started to squeak and creak, and the three merely paused for a split second before continuing on.

England murmured to Norway to keep an eye on the stairway back in the middle of the hall and Norway left the group wordlessly, unfazed by the gloom of the prison.

The top part of the metal bars started to bend a little; that was good. They would probably be able to break the bars easily if they could make all the noise they wanted but seeing that they were trying to be discreet and unnoticed, slow progress was the key.

Sealand cupped his hands together when the first bolt popped out of wall. It landed silently in his hands. "Nice catch." Denmark grinned at him.

Sealand beamed. "Thanks."

One by one, the bolts started to pop out of their respective places and Sealand and Ladonia caught them with ease. One, however, popped out unnoticed by both and it was too late for both of them to make a snatch for it when Iceland pointed it out in whispered alarm.

Finland, however, had quick reflexes; quick enough to swipe at it and catch it safely in his hand. The others sighed in relief at him and Finland laughed quietly. "Close one, wasn't it?"

"Very." England breathed. "You two..." he addressed Sealand and Ladonia warningly. "Watch for them."

"We got it already." Ladonia scoffed under his breath. "No need to repeat."

"You know," Wales said after half of the bars were pried off their metal frames. "After you get those out of the way, what are we doing afterward?"

"After this we're off to recapture the city." England said promptly.

"Wait." Scotland said suddenly. His eyes traveled up to his little brother's face, narrowed in disbelief, and then widened with unmistakeable realization after acceptance of his disbelief. "You're leading this? You're here to save us? _Recapture _my city?"

England gave Scotland a terse smile. "Is there a problem, dear brother?"

Scotland stared at England for a second, and then glanced back at Ireland who was holding back laughter. "Well, how nostalgic." Scotland murmured.

England's smile faltered and his face darkened considerably to match Scotland's. "That was the past." England said shortly.

"The past...something you can't change, ya know?"

Silence. England ceased in his work a little bit but after an urging look from Iceland, he continued to help tear down the bars from the metal frame of the cell. They snapped the bars off from the bottom and carefully laid them on the ground after they thought the bars had enough yoga and entered the cell to untie the brothers.

England just stood there and watched his team. He had no inclination to assist.

"Remember what Germany told you, England." Finland reminded him gently as he and Liechtenstein helped Wales to his feet.

England blinked and turned his head in Finland's direction. Then he nodded silently.

"Well Scotland," said Denmark, brushing imaginary dirt off of his hands. "It's your castle. Know any shortcuts or secret passageways we can go to?"

"Shouldn't ye tell us on what's going on?" North Ireland asked, stretching out his back that cracked satisfyingly. Rolling his shoulders, he added, "The only thing we know is that the world's gone mad."

"You have no idea." Sealand whistled, but his whistle was cut short by a quick smack behind the head from England.

"Don't whistle; you'll attract them to us." he scolded.

"'Them'?" Wales repeated.

"Doppelgangers." Iceland said quietly, but everyone still heard him.

"'Doppelgangers'?" Ireland and North Ireland exchanged glances.

"It's a long story, I can tell ya that." Mr. Puffin groaned. "Okay, so I was chilling out and being all cute and fluffy like normal, right? And so these _sons of a bi_-"

Iceland clamped his hand over Mr. Puffin's beak immediately. "Don't listen to him." Iceland said apologetically.

While Mr. Puffin's complaints were being muffled by Iceland's hand, the others looked at England with the expectancy of him telling the story. England, however, being the tsundere he was (according to Japan), passed it on wordlessly to Denmark via gaze.

Denmark was probably not the best choice seeing that he might like to add in extra details that may or may not be true or accurate, but at least there wouldn't be any awkward silences in between sentences.

"Make it quick; who knows how long Ms. Fairy can keep the diversion up." England muttered.

Denmark's tale lasted seven minutes before Norway signaled them. "They're coming." he said.

"'They're'?" England repeated, astounded. "As in, there are more of them?"

"They know what's up." Sealand hissed, clapping his hands to his face in a moment of intensity. "What will we do now, you jerk?"

England opened his mouth to say something but Scotland intervened quickly and said, "I know the castle better than anyone. Follow me." He took the lead quietly, slipping into the covert of the shadows and avoiding the patches of moonlit spots on the ground streaming in from outside.

Scotland was followed closely by everyone else, but England was the closest of them all. Besides, he had a job to do and even though Scotland _did_ know the castle better than he, England was still the captain, right?

They descended the stairs slowly ("Don't step on the fourth step; it creaks when you step on it." Scotland whispered to the others behind him as he skipped a step).

"We can't just go out the door." England whispered in an arguable tone a whisper could let off.

"We aren't going out through the door, you bloody edjit." Scotland sighed wearily. "Do you think I'm mad? No, we're using the side-door."

"Side-door? What side-door?" England asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "How come you never told me this?" England couldn't help but groan in his head right after the words slipped his tongue; it was rather obvious why.

Scotland glanced back at England and smirked. "Why don't you think that one over a bit?"

"Shut up."

Scotland led the team to the left before they reached the main door. Many of them slowed down to peer at the entrance to see if they could catch a glimpse of Dark Norway or any reinforcements he might have brought.

The side-door was hidden inside the wall and Scotland beckoned for the team to help him move the bricks out of the way. One would think the bricks were tightly packed together by cement or some sort of mixture but they were only stacked tightly with nothing but pressure holding them together.

"You just got to..." Scotland grunted, tugging at a brick with Sealand. "Wiggle it a bit and it'll...slip right out-oi!" The brick they were pulling at jerked towards them and nearly hit Sealand. Scotland prevented that from happening at the nick of time.

"Be more careful." he warned.

The other bricks didn't move even though one of the stones was now missing. However, it was much easier to remove them now that there was a gap and they revealed an old door within a minute.

"Footsteps, six o'clock." Mr. Puffin hissed from Iceland's shoulder.

England glanced behind them. Under the silence from the others, they could all hear low voices and obvious footsteps coming closer to the front entrance.

"That's our cue." Ireland said at once. "Everybody out!"

Quick-walking across the castle grounds, England jogged a little bit to catch up to Scotland, whose taller frame and slender legs carried him faster and more briskly than England himself (who was a bit short compared to him). "What are you planning to do now?" England asked him.

"What am I doing now? I'm going to go find that doppelganger of yours and give him a piece of my mind." Scotland scowled. "Who does he think he is, taking me captive like that? That bloody..."

"Well my doppelganger should be flailing about in the Atlantic Ocean by now." England said curtly. "I'm certain they'll have the co-captain of their little division take charge."

But in reality, England wasn't so sure. By now, he was more certain that his doppelganger had teleported himself back to land when he calmed down. How long would it take him to calm down in deep water without any support? He hated to admit it, but it would probably take him several minutes to gather his thoughts and stop splashing around.

It had been days, and the idea of Dark England still splashing around, being swept up by rough crashing waves in the middle of an ocean didn't seem plausible.

"Doesn't matter, does it?" Scotland asked. "Now you say that these...doppelgangers feed on hatred, right? And that if we can get rid of it, or at least get rid of old grudges, it'll weaken, right?"

England caught Scotland's gaze as they walked (Scotland walked, England was still jogging to keep up). "Exactly the point." England replied.

"So do you even know where to find the co-captain, Scot?" North Ireland asked wearily. "They could be anywhere."

"If you think about it, they'd be somewhere like an office, right?" Denmark asked thoughtfully. "If I was in control and stuff, I'd be relaxing in a small place like that. And planning things out would be easy in an office-like environment."

"Clever thinking." Finland said. "Where's the office?"

Scotland tilted his head a little and his gaze settled on the moon as he slowed his walk much to England's relief. "There's the ticket office at the entrance of the castle." Scotland said slowly. "However, since it's at the front-"

"It'll be difficult to get to since it should be heavily guarded." England finished for him.

"Got any ideas then?" Wales asked.

Eyes darted from one another for a moment. No one seemed to have a decent idea or solution. That is, until Norway suggested that England used his powers again to make them invisible.

"What?" England exclaimed.

"Shhh!" Sealand shushed him, grinning at the reverse situation of the younger one scolding the older.

"Do you know how hard invisibility is for a group this big?" England added, running a stressed hand through his tousled hair. "How many are there? One, two, three...twelve of us. Thirteen if you count the bird."

"It's Mr. _Puffin_ to you, Brit." Mr. Puffin said, ruffling his feathers.

England shook his head. "A few of us would be fine, but since you four decided to get caught..." he sent a meaningful look to his brothers. "I'd be severely fatigued by the end."

The Nordics, Liechtenstein, and the two micro-nations exchanged concerned looks but the UK brothers and Scotland raised an eyebrow at England. "We haven't spent much time with ye in a while, haven't we?" Ireland said.

"You've always bullied me." England sighed.

"Doesn't mean you can do it back to us." North Ireland said bitterly.

"Why don't we let that go? Besides, isn't this the reason why those doppelgangers are here in the first place?" Wales asked nervously.

"Aye, forget that already." Scotland said, waving the subject away like it was a pesky mosquito. "But you've forgotten that we're your brothers, England."

England frowned for a split second but then his eyes widened. "Yes, that's right. You were the ones who taught me magic in the first place."

"There ye go." Ireland said, clapping somewhat sardonically. "Forgotten, haven't ye?"

"I have..." England admitted.

"Well it's not a problem now." North Ireland said casually. "Just a but of a wave here, a bit of a chant there and it's done."

"With all of us combined, we should be able to make our magic resources last." Wales said, cracking his knuckles.

While the UK brothers and Ireland discussed the technique, the rest of the team felt like they've been thrown into a new world. It was one thing to have England involved with magic, and another thing to have Norway see England's...friends, but to have even more?

"How have they hidden this from us for centuries?" Iceland asked.

"Maybe they didn't at first but we never noticed." Liechtenstein suggested.

Sealand crossed his arms and sighed. "I wonder if those jerks will teach me."

Ladonia scoffed. "It'll never happen."

Sealand scrunched up his nose a little. "Yeah, but I still wanna learn."

"Good luck."

* * *

><p>Dark England stared at the wall of the room for a bit. Within the day, he'd have the doppelgangers and the people who were affected by their glorious, delicious hate would launch the attack. How big it would be? He had no idea. As long as there were explosions and destruction, he would be satisfied.<p>

Word had it from the Fourth Division-the Kawasaki Hideout-that the Second Division-the Los Angeles Hideout- had been bombed, thus ruing the plans for most of the Americas.

No matter; in time, the very west would all come down to rubble and then their new reign would rise over there as well.

What troubled Dark England was the possible mutiny from the doppelgangers. He knew that every doppelganger was incredibly cunning, and using that cunning nature of his, he didn't find it surprising that he, like every doppelganger out there, was planning to overtake the system they set up.

Of course, the adventure they all experience to get to their goal was too difficult to do if they had all went against each other. Going one on one with everyone at the very beginning was plain out stupid because not only would his opponents be the hatreds of the countries of Earth, but also the actual countries if they had not dealt with them first.

Dealing with them would require teamwork, and everyone knew that if they went behind people's backs during that teamwork, everything had a chance of failing, and they wanted the slimmest chance possible, even if the opening to their benefits danced right in front of them.

Unfortunately, by the time the real countries knew how to tame them, the doppelgangers had become more...human. They were less careful; they were even cocky. And Dark England had to admit, he felt himself getting more and more careless every day.

The moment the countries realized that the answer to their problems was simple to think up of (but not carry out), that was the moment, Dark England decided, they would fail if they continued the teamwork. But they continued the teamwork anyway, just...more independently.

Knowing America and his darker counterpart, Dark England assumed that Dark America had gotten impatient, thus leading to his downfall. That or his real self messed something up; hell, Dark England was convinced both of them messed something up.

It was bound to happen, after all, right?

That was what he thought, but he stopped his thoughts before they became too cocky-too reckless.

That would also be his downfall, like everyone else.

"Continuance of the fight with our foes- our true selves...alas, this weakens our grip of what illusion we may call reality, if reality is not an illusion." Dark England murmured to himself, kicking his feet up on his desk while he twirled a pen with his right hand. "Should this carry on it will be our downfall if fate looks unkindly upon us."

Dark England's head snapped up towards the door when he heard a loud thump outside. His red eyes eyed the wooden door carefully, his ears alert not towards the door, but behind him in case if the thump was a possible distraction to what might be going on behind.

It wasn't until the door flung open when Dark England narrowed his eyes, focusing a little more attention on the silhouettes that entered the room.

"Ah, so _you_'re the one who did this." a sneer said.

Dark England remembered that voice and he remembered the hate associated with the voice.

How savory.

"Ah, dost thou taste freedom so early? An' here I thought thee locked up." Dark England said smoothly.

Scotland scowled at Dark England and took several angry steps forward even though Dark England remained unaffected by the approaching danger. "Hand me back the castle."

"Nay."

"I said, _hand me back the castle_."

"An' I say nay."

Dark England smiled calmly at Scotland's reddening face. He allowed his gaze to flicker to the others who were gathering in the room. Liechtenstein had a gun pointed at Dark England, and Dark England showed a small sense of amusement in his eyes. She truly was raised by that Switzerland. Was it for better or for worse, he had to wonder.

Either way, he knew she would not shoot. A gunshot was loud, and that would alert the rest of the castle. It was useless anyway; futile to shoot a doppelganger for they could heal right away. A shot of a gun was completely a waste and a severe disadvantage on their part.

After Scotland uttered a string of wild curses, Dark England watched as his original walked up beside Scotland and glared at him. Emerald green eyes pierced the ruby red. Ruby red eyes pierced the emerald green. Neither dared to back down nor did any of them move a muscle for the longest time ever, it felt.

"Alright." England hissed quietly, so quietly that only Dark England and possibly Scotland if he stopped cursing could hear. "Listen here you errant half-faced lout. (Dark England noted that his original's vocabulary had broadened a bit since their last encounter) You think you're so clever making a place like this your hideout and such? Do you think I'd let something like this get in the way?"

He wasn't done speaking; Dark England could tell he had his thoughts planned out ahead of time and wanted to present it here but he had to ruin his original's fun by interrupting him by laughing. "Dearest self, our history-though colored the deepest shade of vermillion o'er years-was coincidentally linked here. Have I a say, however, I'd be a happy man here either which way."

"Not much of a choice, huh?" England scowled, a little annoyed he was cut off. "Even if you had a choice, you'd still pick this place."

Dark England raised an eyebrow, a small tug playing on his lips.

"I have a proposal to make with you." England said a little louder for the others to hear. Scotland, beside him, had been gripping the edge of the desk and now he was tightening his grip, digging his nails into the polished wood.

"What doth thee propose?"

England considered Dark England's curious look carefully, wondering if he had anything up his sleeve while Scotland tensed considerably. His tension was felt throughout the office, and for once even Mr. Puffin had nothing to say.

"Give us four hours." England said in a business-like tone. "You will not attack or fight us for four hours while we do our thing. You can not tell your subordinates about this, so they'll most likely be on our tail. If we are caught and captured, then you win and you can do what you please. If we are not caught by then, you'll give up the rights to the castle and forfeit your mission."

Dark England scoffed. "For what reason?"

England smiled slyly at him. "It's only a game. You played a game with me before. Now it's my turn to return the favor."

Of course, there was more to that. Everyone in that room knew it and everyone knew that Dark England knew. Normally, Dark England would ask for a real reason but he was interested in this and said, "Fine. Play thy game. It begins now."

"Will you keep your word that you won't tell anyone else?" England asked.

Dark England wondered if his original was really that dense. Though he was a man of his word, Dark England was forced to lie and since that had happened, he felt like it shouldn't be too hard to lie again.

Unless that's what England wanted him to do.

Thinking like this would make people paranoid, but the doppelgangers _had_ to consider as many possibilities as possible. Contradicting thoughts were not scarce, and the only solution was to go with their gut or to not take the risk.

Dark England mentally sighed; not taking risks. That was another factor of possible downfalls.

"Aye. I keep mine word." Dark England said, though he did not intend to keep it.

Seemingly satisfied, England turned on his heel and left the room, the others trailing behind him. Dark England stared after them for a moment, and then he found himself staring at the closed door. There was something they were up to, that was for sure.

But hey, if the lack of risk could turn out to be a downfall, then risk would lead him the same way. Keeping that in mind, Dark England closed his eyes and let a small smile flicker onto his face. Though the outcome may be the same, the journey in between was sure to be different.


	61. The Omsk Hideout: Part IV

The sewers were foul and unnaturally stuffy. However, for once the team (minus Russia and Belarus; who knew _what_ they were up to) was grateful that it was overwhelmingly freezing outside because the stench below the city would be unbearable if it was hot and humid.

North Korea was the last to descend into the sewers from the manhole; he had to make sure that no one was watching them from above, though with the fog and snow, it was difficult to be certain. Hopping down from the last ladder rung, North Korea did another head count to make sure everyone was there.

"Why?" Poland asked. "It's not like we could go missing already, you know?"

"Anything can be lurking in the water," North Korea retorted, scanning the dark sewers quickly. "Who knows what will happen."

The team acknowledged the fact that he said 'anything' and not 'anyone'. They dedicated a few tense seconds to scan the water but the lack of light gave them a limited view. The manhole above them allowed in a bright beam of light, but North Korea urged everyone to stay away from it.

"The light makes us easier to spot," he said as they followed him along the path at the sides of tunnel. "To avoid being seen, we need to stay in the dark."

There was an apprehensive silence as they continued on. It was difficult to see ahead, but their eyes adjusted quickly to the change. Though they were able to only see silhouettes and, if they were close enough, certain textures like the stained walls or the slightly rippled water, the darkness did not affect their sense of mobility. As if they knew the sewers confidently, the team hastily walked towards what they hoped was the direction of the tower.

"Do you know where you're going?" Lithuania asked North Korea, hastening his pace to catch up with the country.

North Korea's eyes flickered towards Lithuania and even in the dimness, Lithuania could see the determination in his eyes. North Korea nodded curtly and set his gaze back ahead of them, but Lithuania wondered to himself if he had caught a glimpse of indecisiveness.

Estonia stopped abruptly and turned his head to stare at the water to their right. The others heard his footsteps vanish and immediately turned back at him with an inquiring gaze.

"What is it?" Ukraine asked him, studying his slightly widened eyes and his mouth parting slightly into an uncertain 'o'.

Estonia didn't answer at first. He turned his head to the right and then the left, searching for something in the water. North Korea frowned. This was taking up precious time, but whatever the reason for Estonia's halt, it must be important since North Korea could trust Estonia not to make unnecessary observations.

"Did you not hear that?" Estonia asked quietly.

Silence. Ukraine and Lithuania exchanged troubled glances and Poland shied behind Lithuania, clutching his arm. "It must be your imagination," Lithuania laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I didn't hear anything."

Estonia shook his head frantically. "I heard something."

"Well I don't-" Poland started to say but his voice trailed off at the loud _splash_ from the water.

The team jumped a little and stared at the direction of the sound. Did something fall? Was someone following them? No, they wouldn't make themselves noticeable after Estonia stopped; normally one wouldn't slip or make a noise whenever his or her target or targets stopped. North Korea's mind was racing and he joined Estonia by his side, squinting into the distance of the sewers.

"Look for ripples," North Korea hissed. "See what direction the come from. We'll locate what caused the noise."

But there were no ripples. North Korea scowled to himself. "Estonia, turn." he said curtly.

Estonia did as he was told in alarm. North Korea unzipped Estonia's backpack and dug around for a flashlight. When he found what he wanted, he hastily flashed the light on and backtracked the way they came, sweeping the small, strong beam of light around.

The water was unnaturally still.

Crouching down, North Korea tried to see if there was anything in the water as the others pulled out their own flashlights. "No," he said slowly before they could switch them on. "Only two others. Remember, we have to try to avoid very well-lit places. Three flashlights is the most I'll tolerate."

Their heads jerked back up towards another path on the opposite side of the sewers. If their ears did not deceive them, there was a clear, ringing metallic clang echoing.

North Korea stared at the tunnel leading to another direction. The tunnel was on the other side of the sewers, accessible to them by the bridge at the corner of their path not too far away. If he crossed that bridge, he'd be able to go an investigate.

Do they have the time to do that? North Korea glanced down at his watch. Perhaps, perhaps not. What should he do?

"Lights out!" Lithuania whispered urgently, hurriedly switching his off.

North Korea blinked and followed suit, along with Ukraine who had pocketed it securely. Back in the darkness, allowing their eyes to, yet again, readjust, they listened grimly to a chilling moan.

"What is that?" Estonia asked hoarsely, cringing at the groan.

Before anyone could say anything, another loud _splash_ thundered around the sewer and this time, it was much closer.

"What is this?" North Korea muttered under his breath. By now, he was annoyed at the interruption. They were mere sounds. Sounds couldn't hurt them, not physically as long as they weren't so high pitched that ear drums would bleed. But groans and splashes out of nowhere were harmless. Just a waste of time.

"Forget it. Let's keep moving." North Korea said, jostling the others out of his way. "Continue."

Reluctantly, they followed him. However, the sounds of violent splashing and metallic clangs became more constant and soon enough, it started unnerve even North Korea.

_What is that? Could there be someone following? Or is it another presence that we don't know about? _North Korea thought to himself, grinding his teeth out of irritation. Russia had the usual companionship of General Winter. Of course, living near Russia (China's enormous house was the only house that separated them, but then again, China's house separated several countries other than them), North Korea had gotten used to the occasional breezy drafts sent to his house. According to rumors, he knew that England and Norway had certain friends no one else could see.

And America had a whale and an alien, or so he claimed.

North Korea pushed the irritating thought about America away before he could lose concentration.

So there were definitely some countries that had special friends, and that seemed to be true. Since many of them had more than one special friend or companion, then was it possible for Russia to have another 'thing' at his house?

Lithuania let out a sudden "Ah!" and inhaled sharply. He stumbled forward but caught himself by bunny-hopping a few steps with his right foot.

"Are you alright?" Ukraine asked at once as Poland rushed forward to re-steady his friend.

As Lithuania sheepishly laughed and nodded, North Korea and Estonia couldn't help but shoot looks at any suspicious looking area their eyes scanned by. Lithuania's stumble had echoed a little, and even though 'a little' was only just 'a little', it was probably enough to arouse unwanted attention.

That was the very last thing they needed. The first thing they need was to get into the Omsk Hideout. Then they needed to...

_What do we do from there on?" _North Korea wondered in alarm, stopping his scan. He had forgotten to think about that. He was so occupied with everything in the present that the idea about the future slipped his mind.

_That kind of thinking will get everyone into trouble, and there's no telling what kind of trouble. _North Korea thought bitterly to himself. He reached up to grab a fistful of his hair and tugged. He felt like cursing mercilessly, but he knew he couldn't vent his anger out during a time like this.

"Come on," North Korea heard himself sigh heavily. "We need to keep moving."

Behind his back, the other four sensed that he was getting weary and frustrated. They couldn't blame him; they knew the pressure he must have felt. Something like this was difficult to keep to oneself, and North Korea wasn't one to openly express himself like his brother.

Another, angry roar startled them from behind, but it was in the far distance. North Korea threw back his head and his eyes fell onto their expressions, examining them with a gaze of pure indifference. Their visage was forced back to normal. Not wanting to give him more trouble, they kept their mouths shut and continued to follow him.

North Korea returned his gaze back to the front and they left the roar behind them.

* * *

><p>"Do we have to do this?" Russia asked quietly.<p>

Belarus nodded. "Staying up there is crazy, big brother. Down here, it's easier."

"It's dark."

"It's easy to walk through."

"We'll get lost."

"No we won't."

"But-"

Belarus snapped her head up, her sharp eyes intruding his bubble, as if it wasn't already intruded. She had linked arms with him and dragged him down into the sewers after she "disposed" of Dark Russia. Though the doppelganger could not be 'killed', it didn't mean that they couldn't be...taken care of.

Honestly, Belarus thought that tying up the doppelganger with nearly all of her rope and stuffing him into a bag and tossing him into the sewer was a good idea. She'd like to see Dark Russia get out of that.

No, actually, she wouldn't. She just wanted to make Dark Russia suffer, but perhaps she failed to remember doppelgangers felt no pain but only reacted to it.

Russia decided not to remind her of this, for his sake and, to his sullen realization, for his doppelganger's sake as well.

The two adapted to the stench of the sewers by the time they pushed a groaning Dark Russia (Belarus had whispered something into his ears that had made him like that; Russia was glad he couldn't hear her), stuffed into a bag and all, into the sewers. They merely watched as Dark Russia fell into a metal pipe below them, producing a loud _clang_ that they were sure people could hear miles away. The ringing died down a little after the loud splash Dark Russia made and the desperately wriggling bag float in the murky water, making smaller splashes of water.

"He'll get out soon," Russia said.

Belarus gave his hand a small squeeze but he grimaced and pulled away. She had momentarily forgotten that Russia's left hand was broken, so she reached for his right but he also jerked it away.

"Both of your hands are broken?" Belarus whispered.

Russia was grim. Dried blood caked his torn fingernails and small ends of his bones stuck out at unnatural angles. Yet, as long as no one touched him, he could bear the pain. "Yes. He broke them both." Russia responded.

Belarus wondered what else of Russia would have been broken if she hadn't came. "That will give us time." She glanced up at Russia and asked quietly. "Big brother? Are you glad that I saved you?"

Russia didn't answer.

"Big brother?" Belarus sounded somewhat urgent. "Did I do good? How did I do? Big brother? Russia?"

Russia could only nod, and even though it was a small motion, Belarus nodded back in disappointment, accepting the fact that the tiny nod was all the acknowledgment she could get out of him.

For now.

"I'm happy that I saved you, big brother." Belarus whispered. "I'm happy that I didn't come too late. I don't know what I would do if your entire body was broken."

"I won't know either."

"I'm happy I have you, big brother."

Pause. "I am too."

Belarus hesitated. "Do you mean it? It's very special, to be able to spend time with you."

"Yes, I mean it."

Looking into her eyes, Russia saw that she didn't believe him. He didn't really care. He just wanted to get out of the sewers. He wanted to go find the others and destroy the Omsk Hideout. That was what he wanted.

Belarus bit her lips. As if she had read his mind, she murmured, "Let us go find everyone else...big brother." They started to walk quickly away from their spot, leaving the thrashing bag behind. Though their footsteps were fairly noisy, Russia could hear Belarus whisper, "Someday, you'll feel what I feel."

And she reached out to hold onto Russia's left hand tightly.

And Russia didn't pull away.

* * *

><p>Russia and Belarus continued down the sewers, hand in hand with each other, peering around the dimmed corners and stealing glances at the dark water to the side. They would shoot suspicious looks every time they heard something that wasn't supposed to be in the sewers, like the occasional murmuring that they could not make out and the quick breaths of alarm or irritation.<p>

They all came up ahead of them.

"Should we continue going in this direction?" Belarus murmured to Russia.

"It's towards our destination." Russia said. "We have to."

Once, Belarus' foot had bumped a few good-sized rocks about the size of her hand off the ledge of the pathway they were walking on and plummeted into the water. She and Russia had stopped, aware of the possible danger they could attract as the splash echoed.

Seconds after the splash, they could hear footsteps hastily running from up ahead. Were they running towards them or away? They couldn't tell within the first few seconds; they braced themselves for another fight but it dawned upon them that the footsteps were getting further and further with time.

"Could they be...?" Belarus muttered under her breath. She grabbed Russia's wrist, the part where it wasn't broken, and dragged him forward. "Come on! Let's go!"

* * *

><p>North Korea was sure that something was following them now. He heard a voice calling, and though it sounded eerily familiar, it might as well be a doppelganger of a country. That would explain why it sounded somewhat familiar.<p>

"Can we even outrun them?" Lithuania asked in a hushed voice, running alongside North Korea. "We can barely see where we're going. This is dangerous!"

"Yeah, I rather not fall into the water. Who knows what's in it..." Estonia grimaced.

"Well if we can't run away, we'll have to hide." Ukraine whispered.

"Hide _where_?" North Korea asked in frustration. "There is no place to hide. Unless you want to spend your time in that water, go ahead."

Lithuania automatically reached out to grab Poland's collar; it was good that he did because Poland was ready to jump. "He was kidding." Lithuania said.

"I wasn't." North Korea said.

Lithuania ignored the comment. "As long as we keep going in the right direction and keep up this speed, I think we'll be fine."

Their conversation ended there; the only noises made by the group were their panting and treading. They kept their ears open for any other sound behind them that hinted at how far their pursuers were.

They were getting closer.

* * *

><p>Russia stopped. Belarus, who was still holding his wrist, jerked back at the sudden abruptness of his halt. She glanced back, tugging wildly at his arm but he didn't budge. "Big brother? What's wrong?"<p>

Russia's eyes flickered to the side. Silence. Then, he said quietly, "He's back."

Belarus stared at Russia. Slowly, she released his hand and peered behind his figure. Narrowing her eyes, Belarus flicked her hand for another knife to protrude from underneath her sleeve. "Keep going, big brother." she hissed. "I will stop him."

Russia didn't move.

"Big brother-" Belarus started to snap, but Russia glared her down. Belarus faltered and realized the intensity in his eyes. He had never really intimidated her before, and she kept on hearing how the other countries were frightened by him. She never realize why until now, when he gave her that look.

He never gave her that look.

"You go." he said dangerously. "I'll deal with him, da?"

Belarus lost tension in her shoulders. She looked form Russia to the advancing silhouette of the doppelganger. "Big brother, you barely made it out last time..." she whispered. "I will not leave you. You can't fight. Your hands...they're useless."

Russia's expression remained unfazed. "No, they're not."

Belarus narrowed her eyes in suspicion, then they widened in realization. "No..."

"Go. Belarus, go on without me."

"No."

"_Belarus_."

"No." Belarus gritted her teeth. "Big brother, why do you think I'll leave you here by yourself? Are you an idiot? I'm staying."

At first, Russia didn't say anything. He had his back turned on Belarus by now, and he was eying the darkness where Dark Russia was approaching them slowly, carefully. It seemed as if the doppelganger had lost its cockiness and returned to how it must have been before; analyzing, careful, cautious...

That was what made doppelgangers tricky to deal with in the first place.

"Belarus, I'm asking you to go." Russia growled, trying again to convince her to leave. "I never finished my fight before. Believe me when I tell you I am grateful you helped me, but now I need my honor back. Do you really want to strip me of my hon-"

"Yes."

Russia faltered at the unexpected response. He anticipated a, "No, of course not big brother," from Belarus, but her stubbornness was indomitable.

"Fine then," Russia murmured.

Belarus assumed Russia was letting her stay with him, which he should have in her opinion. However, before she could get a running start towards the calculating doppelganger who had stopped in the distance to analyze the situation, Russia spun and kicked her off the ledge.

Belarus gasped as his foot, heavily padded because of the winter boot, caught her in the stomach. It was enough force to leave her literally breathless. Her body flung several feet away from Russia and skidded so quickly and painfully over the surface of the water that she was able to collide into the wall of the ledge, barely above the water, on the opposite side of the sewers.

A second after impact, Belarus felt herself sink into the putrid water but she was unable to gasp for air before she descended. Russia's kick was horrifyingly strong even in his weakened state.

For the first time in a while, Belarus' eyes teared up in betrayal as she silently watched Russia's silhouette in the dimness fade into the shadows, towards Dark Russia.


	62. The Kawasaki Hideout: Part V

Thailand had peered around the corner at the closest turn in the air vents; being the last one in, he had plenty of room behind him to work with while he turned himself around to watch. Though it had been quite a nerve-wrecking thing to do, he managed to get the others to hide as quickly as possible from view if anyone should happen to look for them. He managed to get them to do so silently as well, which was quite a feat.

He could feel the tension in the air behind him where the others froze and waited. Thailand had to give them credit for not twitching or shifting around uneasily as the doppelgangers (at least, that's what Thailand thought) peeked into the vents.

Their voices were clear when they spoke even though they expected the desk to muffle some of the sound. However, what the doppelgangers were saying made South Korea and Hong Kong grit their teeth a little. Thailand had to glance back over his shoulder, giving them a small smile in order to reassure them.

"And after the rats we sent up there?" Dark Philippines was saying.

"Those _bastards_," South Korea scowled. "They _did_ send those rats up after all, da-ze."

"Shhh!" Thailand motioned for Taiwan to do something about South Korea, and she hastily clapped her hand above his mouth.

"Move the desk," Dark Mongolia's voice said calmly from down the vent. They all exchanged concerned looks. "Let's see where they are this time..."

"We have to move, like, _now_." Hong Kong hissed.

"Follow me," Greece whispered, from the back. With his flashlight clenched between his teeth, he slinked ahead, closely followed by the others. Thailand wondered if he had the time to turn himself around or if he'd have to go backwards.

"Stay like that," Taiwan told Thailand when she glanced back at him. "You can be the look-out."

Greece, South Korea, Taiwan, Seychelles, Hong Kong, and Thailand painstakingly made their way through the system, crawling around using Greece's intuition as their guide. Whether his guts were reliable or not, they didn't have time to spare to analyze the situation. The doppelgangers sent up rats once ("They probably had rabies," Hong Kong said.) and they didn't want to find out what else they'd send up.

"Do you think Japan will be okay?" Taiwan asked.

"Japan will be fine," Greece said calmly. "You'll need a lot to take that country down. Anyway, first thing's first: we need to find a safe way out of the air vents. If they're looking for us here, they won't be looking for us elsewhere."

"Well of course, da-ze," Korea said, "but what if they _do_ find us unintentionally down there?"

"Do what we've been doing," Seychelles said.

"Which is, da-ze?"

"Run," she said wryly.

Korea considered the default plan for a brief moment. "We do a lot of running," he said pensively. "When will we go back to the good old times where we actually fight back, da-ze?"

"The good old times where we fight back?" Thailand repeated somewhat incredulously, glancing behind his shoulder since he was still facing backwards. "You _do_ realize that we're not going against anything like we had in the past, right, ana?"

Korea glanced back over _his_ shoulder to give Thailand a small pout that reminded everyone behind Korea of a small child longing for ice cream. Taiwan, Seychelles, and Hong Kong also glanced behind them if Thailand would give Korea the frosty delight.

"It's best to avoid fighting right now, ana." Thailand said wisely, giving Korea a smile. "But I think that when we leave Kawasaki, Japan might let you play around for a minute, ana."

Korea grinned broadly. "Well, I know what _I'm_ doing the last few minutes, da-ze."

"As long as we don't have to clean up your mess," Taiwan chided him.

Greece halted above a square grate, large enough for a person to fit through, and flickered his flashlight off. He motioned for the others to be silent as he inspected the room below them. A light was on, but many empty rooms could still have lights on. There was no rule that said you couldn't, unless, of course, there _was_ one that said so, but Greece was completely sure that there was no such rule in the building.

The room appeared to be a lounge; Greece could start to smell the faint aroma of fresh coffee beans over to the side of the room where a coffee machine stood by its lonesome in the corner. There were several armchairs and coffee tables spread out with a few magazines neatly piled up at the side of the tables.

"What do you see, Greece?" Seychelles asked quietly.

"It's just a lounge," he whispered, rescanning the area. "It's safe."

"I smell coffee," Hong Kong murmured. "Could we, like, get some if we have time?"

"Do you really want coffee right now?" Taiwan asked in surprise. "We have too much to do for a coffee break!"

"You know, I find it hard to imagine the doppelgangers just relaxing and drinking coffee." Korea said, rubbing his chin. "Reading magazines too...wonder if Japan's got Playb-"

Korea let out a sharp breath and clenched his teeth, shooting Taiwan and Seychelles a look. "Will you both _please_ release your demon-claws off of my leg, da-ze?"

Taiwan and Seychelles retracted their hands, scowling at him. "This isn't the time to be thinking of that," Seychelles said.

"I was kidding, da-ze." Korea said, scratching the back of his head. "Trying to lighten up the mood, you know?"

"Ana, Greece?" Thailand called from the back. His tone worried them; he sounded nervous.

"What is it, Thailand?" Greece asked hastily.

There was a silence, but in that silence, they noticed that there were small, rapid _pit pats _echoing in the vents. The first thought that popped up were more rats; everyone shifted uncomfortably. The second thought was a 'what if?'. What if they sent up something other than rats? What would it be then?

"If it has, like, rabies..." Hong Kong started slowly, but he never finished.

The _pit pats_ had gotten quicker and heavier, so heavy that they pounded on the metal, sending clangs ringing in the ears.

"What the hell? Did they send dogs or what, da-ze?" Korea scowled.

A bark echoed down the vents; the noises became louder and quicker.

"You _had_ to say dogs?" Greece groaned. "Let's go, everybody out!"

Greece handed his flashlight back to Korea and pulled at the grate. As the sounds came nearer and nearer, Greece's determination soared. He did _not_ want to be around dogs. With a surge of energy, Greece ripped the metal grate from its place and tossed it aside. Cheers rang behind him but he didn't stop; he slid a little past the opening, pulled his feet in so that he could lower himself feet first down into the room, and dropped.

One by one, the others followed. Greece and Korea had prepared to coax the girls but they gave them a shake of the head, a grin, and jumped down with no hesitation whatsoever. "That was fun," Seychelles said brightly, brushing off imaginary dirt as Taiwan followed suit. "Come on Hong Kong! You can do it!"

"I, like, already know I can!" he called down, sticking his feet down into the room. Seconds later, he dropped and landed swiftly, hastily moving out of the way for Thailand.

"Thailand, drop!" Korea yelled hastily. "Seriously, who sends _dogs_ in the vents? I mean sure that's kinda smart since they can sniff people out and all but...who am I kidding, I'd send dogs after my enemies as well, da-ze..."

"You're not, like, helping, you know." Hong Kong said.

"Come on Thailand! You can do it!" Seychelles called up.

Thailand would consider it but he knew that if no one covered up the opening, the dogs would fall through and eventually, catch them. The thundering coming from the dogs' direction hinted that they were big dogs. They seemed small enough to travel through the air vents but regardless of size, Thailand wondered how many there were.

"All of that sound will surely lead them to us, ana." Thailand called down to them, crawling over the opening. They expected him to drop his feet in first, since he was facing the other way, but when he completely passed them, they exchanged grim looks.

"You're not thinking of distracting them, are you?" Greece asked. "We _need_ you with us!"

"What else can I do, ana?" Thailand asked quickly, poking his head back over the opening. They noticed the grate was in his hands, ready to seal the hole.

Korea dug his hands into his pockets and retrieved a small object. "Catch, da-ze!" he called, tossing it up.

Thailand dropped the grate in surprise but he managed to catch Korea's cellphone. "What do you want me to do with this, ana?"

"Throw it down the vent and come down. We'll have someone call it and the sound of my phone will distract the dogs, da-ze."

"Wait!" Seychelles said suddenly. "They're _dogs_, Korea. They can still smell our scent."

Korea looked her and Taiwan seriously in the eyes and said calmly, "I never thought I'd ask you guys this but, _spray me, da-ze!_"

"What?" they asked blankly.

"Come on, anything! Perfume, body mist, anything, da-ze." Korea insisted, spreading his arms out as he shut his eyes closed tightly, contorting his face. "Spray me!"

Taiwan glanced at a bewildered Seychelles. "Do you have a skunk?"

They heard Thailand slide the phone away and were relieved to see him jump down to join them, sliding the grate over the opening just before it became out of his reach. Taiwan sighed in relief, knowing that everyone was safe for the time being. Then it struck her that there was still Japan.

"Snap out of your trance," Korea said, shaking her shoulders roughly. "I need some of that perfume! This is the only time I'll ask for it, da-ze."

"Alright, alright, here, hold on. I don't know if it's strong enough to block our scents but- hey wait, if we're already wearing perfume, how do we block our scent now?" Taiwan asked abruptly.

"Switch perfumes," Hong Kong said at once. He pointed at Seychelles. "You wear Taiwan's perfume and you," he pointed at Taiwan, "wear Seychelle's perfume."

"Good enough for me," Seychelles said, digging around in her backpack. "Here you go,"

"Thank you. Here's mine," Taiwan said hastily as they made the switch. "Alright Korea, eyes closed, mouth shut, don't breathe in until I tell you to!"

Korea stiffened, contorting his face once again after he took a deep breath. Taiwan squirted several mists of perfume all over Korea, circling around him quickly as Seychelles did the same to Greece.

"Next!" they both called, and Hong Kong was treated by Taiwan while Thailand received the perfume treatment from Seychelles.

Korea coughed, waving the air in front of him. "How do you stand it, da-ze?"

"They don't put that much one usually," Greece grimaced. Choking, he added, "At least, I think so."

"Let's get out of here. And block out this room too. Doppelgangers will notice the smell if they walk in here and they'll figure out what we did," Seychelles said worriedly, switching perfume bottles back with Taiwan after they gave themselves a last minute touch with each other's bottle.

"Yeah, those mutts are practically right above us." Greece murmured, leading the way out. "We'll just lock the door from the inside. That will have to do for now,"

Before anyone could complain, the grate from above rattled dangerously as the dogs ran over it. Their hearts skipped a beat when they heard the animals stop, sniffing around.

"Call the phone, da-ze," Korea whispered anxiously to Hong Kong.

"I'll call, I'll call," Hong Kong said, fumbling with his pockets. "Let's just, like, get out of here now!"

* * *

><p>Japan closed his eyes, lying down on yet another metal pipe that was teetering on the edge of being able to hold his weight or not. Perhaps he had spent too much time with America and maybe all of those fast food restaurants America insisted of having at his house was a <em>little<em> too much.

In the darkness, he could have sworn he heard barking. And was that a strange kind of thunder? It echoed all over the place, and it started to unnerve him.

"Have they...have they really sent up dogs to search for them?" Japan whispered to himself. He took a deep breath in order to clear his mind and he concluded that the doppelgangers really were willing to do anything.

Even sending up dogs in the air vents.

Japan grimaced at the thought. Within minutes, the entire building would smell of dog. The air circulating in the air vents would surely pick up the scent, and what if they did their business right then and there?

Perhaps it was best to leave the doppelgangers to clean everything up, depending on how things go.

Japan had been stationary for a while now. He realized that, but he had no intention of moving soon. He relied on the sound of the dogs to keep track of whether or not his team was still on the run or if they were captured. If they were captured, the dogs wouldn't be running around sniffing out runaway countries. At the moment, they were still barking their heads off, but even if they were still hunting, they had gotten more frenzied, more excited.

Japan had a sinking feeling they were getting closer to his friends.

"No, mustn't think of that yet," Japan ordered himself, giving him a small slap on the cheek to snap him out of his thoughts. "They'll be okay. As long as Korea doesn't try out his gaming skills and apply it to real life, they'll be okay,"

Now that Japan thought about it, Korea's gaming skills was superb. However, there was a fine line between gaming and real life and Japan was reasonably sure that people couldn't double jump or hack or run into glitches that would benefit them in real life. However useful it was, it wouldn't help them out here since it was impossible.

"Stay focused," Japan sighed to himself. "Don't think about games,"

What he really needed to do was to figure out a way to finish their mission. Disabling the doppelgangers and destroying the weapons...disabling the doppelgangers and destroying the weapons...disabling the doppelgangers and destroying the weapons...he had to repeated those objectives over in his head.

"Disabling the doppelgangers before destroying the weapons would be easier," Japan thought aloud to himself. "Or I can find a way to destroy the weapons and trap the doppelgangers in. I could blow the building up and have it collapse on everything-oh, but first I must rescue my people who are innocent. I cannot allow innocent people to die,"

The barking ceased a little and Japan's eyes snapped open, staring in horror at the darkness. Were they caught? Did they bring the dogs down somehow? What happened?

Japan stayed silent. He thought he picked up another sound, a distant sound that sounded familiar. Why?

It could just be his mind messing with him, however.

But then again...

Japan closed his eyes to further deepen his concentration. The small sound was definitely...yes, it was! Wait, no, it couldn't be...could it?

Japan frowned, cocking his head a little.

Yes...yes it was!

"Why is Korea getting a call at a time like this?" Japan exclaimed quietly to himself, opening his eyes again. "Germany told us to keep our phones on silent or off except for the captains and co-captains. Korea isn't officially a co-captain but still..."

Japan couldn't just lie there in the ceiling when his team was in danger. He just couldn't. But that didn't mean that he could throw away precious thinking time and recklessly prance around the hideout to save the team either. How did he know that they were captured? Perhaps the team was luring the dogs away or something.

Having mental capacity of a human, Japan knew that he should do _something_ to help the others, or at least sneak around and find out what was going on. However, having the wisdom and experience of a country, he knew that something like that was a joke.

It was a very common trait for all countries to acquire; physically, they were still human and sometimes mentally, they act their physical age. Below the young appearance, a mere facade to the world's population, was a deeply rooted wisdom that most countries often forget they had.

Or chose not to remember.

That nagging feeling of ancient experience convinced Japan that he could trust the others to be well; they weren't countries for nothing. They had survived this long and whatever history they had, they held their ground and made it out with a standing government and a population of people they had the rights to call their own.

They'd survive.

Minutes passed in passive silence. Japan felt that his train of thoughts were finally reaching the station since it seemed to slow down. Why was that? Surely he couldn't be tired of thinking now, could he?

"I'm old," he stated quietly to himself. "but this isn't the time to admit my age."

Eventually, when he thought his mind had finally come to a stop, a seemingly futile idea developed into a bigger idea, one that had potential.

Now whether that potential would expand into a guaranteed game plan was up to Japan, and that was exactly what he needed at the moment. There wasn't much time left and he needed to get something thought up of.

But now that he thought longer about it, his idea definitely had potential.

If things went well, they'd be able to succeed in their mission.


	63. The Suzhou Hideout: The Final Part

The halls leading out of the factory-style room was a labyrinth. There was a countless amount of times where New Zealand, Australia, and Malaysia swore they thought they had been through a particular hall before and encountered dead ends. One of the few good things about the maze was that they did not seem to hear any doppelgangers approaching.

"How is that good?" Malaysia asked. "Aren't we supposed to go interrogate?"

"That's only if we can't find a way how they control the explosives." New Zealand said.

Ten minutes passed in their search yet nothing was to be found. They didn't even run into a doppelganger.

"We should try looking in the rooms then," Australia said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Why didn't we do that before then?" New Zealand asked, slightly irritably. "I mean, if we did that, we might have found something by now."

"I guess we're too much in a rush to think carefully," Malaysia suggested quietly.

The three exchanged worrisome glances. If they didn't think things through enough, how many mistakes were they allowed to make before they fail?

Most of the rooms they first peered into were empty save for a handful of tables and chairs. There were several maps plastered on the walls, each one of them written over in Chinese. Not a single thing scribbled to the margins of the map made sense to them.

"I knew I should have took Chinese lessons," Malaysia scowled to himself. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and added wearily, "From the looks of it though, doesn't it kinda look like they're expanding?"

Australia peered at the maps, one by one, with a contemplating gaze. "Expand what, I wonder..."

"Could it be that the doppelgangers are working against each other too?" New Zealand pondered.

"Hm?" Australia blinked at him.

New Zealand, troubled, gave Malaysia a glance. "Is it just me, or is it that no matter how well the doppelgangers work together, they're still 'hatred', right? How can they work together so well without fighting?"

"It's as if they know the consequences and choose to work together in order to gain a similar goal, which is, of course, to get rid of us and make a new version of earth, right?" Malaysia added pensively.

"Yeah, that sounds right," Australia said. "Although, they're still doppelgangers that hold our hatred and grudges, so they're bound to still dislike certain countries' doppelgangers. They're probably working together temporarily and then they'll rebel when they have all that they want and get more. Even as an ally to each other, they're still enemies at the same time."

Silence. Then Malaysia sighed again, sticking his hands into his pockets. "Must be hard to work together if there's no trust." he murmured. "You truly don't know what your 'ally' could be thinking."

The other rooms had books scattered around, and though Australia and Malaysia couldn't tell if any of the books were the ones that Dark Thailand had taken from that glass dome room, they could tell that the books were somewhat important by the way they were arranged. Neatly stacked with several small bookmarks, the books were, according to the titles, a collection of Intelligence gathered on several countries along with basic information about its history.

"Well, some division is doing its research..." New Zealand murmured, putting down a book with his information. He coughed and uncomfortably stared at it a little longer. It was as if he was exposed to the doppelgangers since they had so much knowledge about him.

"Let's continue," Australia said softly. "We still have to find that master remote."

It took them an hour to finally come across a room of doppelgangers and it relieved them that there seemed to be no indication of other people outside of the 'factory'. The one thing that ruined their relief was the fact that the 'master remote' was no small thing.

The room they stumbled upon where the doppelgangers were all residing in was a major control room with rows and rows of monitors overlooking the 'factory'. Fortunately, they noticed that none of the monitors showed the halls; of course, if they did, they would have been found out long ago. Unfortunately, they realized that if they were watching the factory area, then wouldn't they have rushed out to stop them?

"No, wait...listen," New Zealand said.

The three of them quieted themselves and caught one of the doppelgangers murmur, "...images frozen like that...cameras aren't functioning right...they haven't wired them correctly, those people of his, that or we didn't lower their hate enough for them to think clearly..."

"That makes some sense. I guess we're lucky," Australia whispered.

There was silence in the room after the doppelgangers reached a conclusion on how to deal with things from there. They promptly went back to work, but unlike the composure of the doppelgangers they've seen before, there was something...off about them. They were no longer calm, collected, and knowing. They seemed tensed, strained, and their true nature seemed to be leaking into the atmosphere.

They shot brief looks to each other, making eye contact with a glare before breaking away. Some gritted their teeth and muttered under their breaths. The three countries smiled to themselves. Perhaps their efforts were finally taking its toll on their darker counterparts.

However, they still had work to do.

"We have to hurry," Malaysia mouthed to them as to not make a sound in the dead silence. Pointing at his watch nervously, he lipped, "It's past an hour and China will worry,"

"No kiddin'," Australia mouthed back.

But what were they do to? If there was a way to deactivate the entire base, then it would give them time to evacuate it and destroy it.

Before Australia and New Zealand could suggest an idea, however, Malaysia already had one in mind. He left the others to watch intently by slipping into a side-room, giving them a hand motion that they interpreted to be a signal to stay down.

Malaysia disappeared from their sight, leaving the two to wonder what the country was up to. Several minutes passed in tense silence, but they trusted Malaysia to do whatever it was he was doing. They were not disappointed when Australia suddenly spotted Malaysia right above the doppelgangers, balancing slowly, carefully, on the steel beams that supported the ceiling.

"What is he _doing?_" New Zealand whispered to Australia.

Australia hushed him, eyes darting back and forth between Malaysia and the doppelgangers who seemingly are oblivious to the country hovering over them. Squinting, Australia frowned as Malaysia slowly tied a package of something to the beam, securing it tightly before moving on.

New Zealand had the right question; what _was_ he doing?

They watched Malaysia attach the packages all over the beams and somehow, he managed to stick them to the ceiling itself. More than once, doppelgangers would pause, freeze completely, and listen. They would give no other indication of listening other than their stopping their work, but Malaysia caught on to what they were doing and froze as well, waiting for them to continue again.

When they thought he was done, they were completely wrong. Malaysia caught their eyes and held a finger to his lips and a hand that probably meant 'stay down'.

He silently slinked off and out of their line of vision again and didn't return until several minutes later with more things to attach to the ceiling and, surprisingly, China was with him. They moved quickly, but they constantly kept an eye on the doppelgangers from below.

New Zealand narrowed his eyes in confusion and then brightened. "Ohh, I see. They're setting everything up."

Australia grinned. 'Setting everything up' was most likely a reference to their plan. Those were the explosives that the others had taken off of China's people. The explosion would cave in the room and water from the lake would flood the base.

"Now all we have to do is activate the explosives and get the heck out of here before the water overwhelms us," Australia whispered.

"Okay, but how?" asked New Zealand.

Australia's mind racked for ideas as he made his way around the room, using the covert of the banister running along the room. New Zealand did a quick double take before following him, whispering incredulously, "Now what are _you_ doing?"

"I'm looking," Australia mouthed, noticing how close they were to the doppelgangers now.

He peered behind his shoulder, anticipating a, 'For what?' look from his friend, which he anticipated right.

"I'm looking for something to activate the explosives," he mouthed to New Zealand.

New Zealand nodded and tapped Australia's shoulder to get his attention again. "I'll look on the other side," he mouthed to him.

Australia nodded and they parted ways.

* * *

><p>Malaysia and China agreed silently that they had planted enough bombs for now and went to search for Australia and New Zealand. They met up out in the hallway, where Australia and New Zealand looked quite proud of themselves.<p>

"What's with the smile?" Malaysia asked, feeling a smile tug at his lips merely because of the fact they were smiling.

New Zealand, whose hands were behind his back, lifted a remote control and waved it. "Took us forever to get a hold of this," he said. "We had to wait until Dark Singapore left to get this, and believe me, it was no easy feat."

"Great, aru," China said. "Now let's get out of here and be done with it."

"We still have to help Japan if he needs it," Australia said as the four hastily walked away from the room. "Remember that every team has another team to assist after they finish their mission."

"Yes, yes, we know," China said impatiently. He stared at his watch intently. "Vietnam's probably got everyone out by now," he murmured to himself. "Now let's go back before their cameras start working again."

"I say we got lucky," Malaysia said, sticking his hands into his pockets.

New Zealand laughed gently. "Yeah, I say so too."

* * *

><p>Vietnam eyes them carefully when they approached the rest of the group on the bridge. When she noticed the color of their eyes and their triumphant expressions, she relaxed a little. "I'm guessing that you got it?" she asked quietly.<p>

"We did, aru."

She nodded curtly and then moved her glance towards the lake. "Then you should flood the base before they realize what hit them."

China scanned the crowd for Wy and when he found her, he held the remote out to her. "You want to flood it?"

Wy grinned and snatched the remote out of his hands. "You bet,"

Dozens and dozens of eyes were fixed firmly on the flat, placid surface of the lake. Wy eagerly pushed the button, savoring her moment of glory where all the big countries depended on her single movement to complete their ultimate mission.

There was nothing at first, but then at once, a heavily muffled _boom_ sounded form underground, causing the earth to rumble a little bit. The water, clearly disturbed, crashed onto the shores, carrying debris. The doppelgangers would surely not drown. No, they wouldn't, but something told China and the others that with their base gone, they'd lose the will to fight and lose their physical body, returning to the original.

They were already our with each other and their current situation anyway, according to Australia and New Zealand. And sure enough, no 'bodies' washed ashore. No human-like figure floated in the water and nothing came up to fight.

They were done. They had saved their part of the world, and they could only rush to assist Japan and hope that the rest of the world would hurry up and save itself.

Two down, five more to go.

* * *

><p>I apologize for the lateness of my update. I am actually quite stressed out recently and I'm so sorry this chapter has been pretty short. I planned a huge ending for the Suzhou Hideout but ah, alas, I could do no more. As I read back, I feel as if my writing style has drastically bled out on this chapter and I'm in no mood to correct any errors nor do I have the energy to do so even if I wish it.<p>

I realized that I really need to hurry and get to the conclusion of this story, however it will actually take some time even though I say it's getting close to the end. But just how far is the end? Well, we're multi-reading different plots, right? We finished Suzhou, we finished Los Angeles, we're currently in the middle of Omsk, Edinburgh, and Kawasaki. We still have Bordeaux (France) and Schwerin (Germany).

Wow, we still have quite a bit to read (well, write on my part), don't we? And then we have the final arc (which is still a secret! I haven't mentioned it to anyone, I don't think) and then the epilogue. And then I can finally devote my attention to my newer Hetalia project, **Unknown Fear**.

If you haven't read it yet, feel free to or you can just stick to Doppelganger until the end and be done with my stories. Either way, I don't mind.

Thank you for your support everyone. And wow, 400 reviews? Amazing! I really have to thank you guys because if it weren't for you guys, I woudln't have continued the story to be the story it is right now.

As always, thank you for reading! Please don't get too annoyed with my lateness. I was usually punctual at the beginning of this story where I updated almost every day. Oh dear, I'm envious of my past self because of the time she had.

Thanks again! :)


	64. The Edinburgh Hideout: Part III

"Do you _really _think Dark England is going to keep his promise?" Sealand asked as the team marched through the front lawns. "Doppelgangers are _obviously_ not trustworthy. They're going to lie."

"Exactly the point," England said calmly.

Sealand narrowed his eyes in confusion and peered behind at the others for hints as to what England was talking about. They gave him a blank look in return. It made Sealand wonder if following England's secretive plan such a good idea since there was no voice of logic coming from anyone else. And looking back at his history, England could lose it and get them all in trouble.

"Why are you giving me such a look?" England snapped at Sealand. "Stop it, you're starting to scare me with that face."

"So like, what's the point of playing a game?" Ladonia asked scornfully. "Why even a game? The world's at risk and we're stuck goofing off? That doesn't sound so big and mighty."

"They'll think we're playing," England muttered under his breath. "And if that doppelganger breaks his promise and sends the others to find us, then they'll be distracted looking for us."

"Alright, but if they're looking for us and they _do_ find us, then what?" Iceland asked.

"They won't find us," England said. "They never will."

Scotland caught up with England and stopped him, turning him around to jab a finger at his chest. "Listen. If anything happens to this place..._anything_, I'm going to ignore all of those treaties and pacts, got it?"

England narrowed his eyes at Scotland and Scotland's glare intensified. Wales looked like he wanted to step in and stop them from fighting but Ireland placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

"You don't trust me?" England asked with a hint of poison.

Scotland scoffed. "You thought I would?"

Silence again. Denmark waved a hand between their faces for a while and laughed, patting them both on the back with such force that they broke concentration out of alarm. "You guys are brothers and you're fighting at a time like this? Awww, come on! Even I don't fight with Sweden anymore and our history was pretty bad, am I right guys?" Denmark threw a glance behind his shoulder at the other Nordics.

Finland smiled at England and Scotland. "It's true. Even though they had their odds, they're still good friends and there isn't anything between them at all."

"Like I always say," Denmark grinned, "the past is in the past. Look to the future and don't trouble yourself with heavy burdens."

"Is that why you're known as one of the happiest places on Earth?" Liechtenstein asked.

Denmark gave her a thumbs up. "Not 'one' of the happiest places. _The_ happiest place!"

"But...didn't you lose that title to Norway?"

Denmark patted Norway on the back and coughed into his fist. "Uhh, that's not important."

Despite Denmark's spiel, Scotland and England continued to give each other a look before they sighed heavily. "Do whatever you like," Scotland scowled. "Just don't destroy my place."

"Like I'd ever do that," England sniffed.

Scotland burst out laughing. The group watched him in dismay, shooting looks around to see if his laughter had attracted any enemies. When he had calmed down, they were relieved that they were still incognito.

The humor in Scotland's eyes disappeared and the corners of his mouth twitched back into a grim frown. His eyes narrowed slightly and he lifted a finger, staring at England. "Remember way back when...Oswald of Northumbria?"

England sighed, clapping a hand over his face wearily. "Oh no...I shouldn't have said anything..." he said bitterly through his fingers.

"Treaty of Falaise, Edward the First, Thomas Randolph, Edward the Third, Henry the Fourth, Alexander Stewart and Edward the Fourth, battle of Flodden Field-"

"Alright, alright, I get it," England snapped. "But this time it's different, okay?" He softened his tone and added quietly, "Can't you trust me just this once?"

Scotland gave England an indifferent look. Glancing back to the others, Scotland said dryly, "I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"It's for the sake of the freaking world," Mr. Puffin squawked, fluttering his wings furiously as Iceland grimaced as his talons tightened on his shoulder. "If the dopps take over, where the hell am I gonna get my licorice, dammit?!"

"Shut up," Iceland ordered. "Keep your voice down-"

"How can I?!" Mr. Puffin demanded as his wing-flapping became more frenzied. "Do you think those doppelganger bastards will supply me with licorice? Do ya? Hell no! They'll chuck raw fish at me and I don't like my fish raw!"

"You're a puffin," Iceland said firmly as the group shifted uncomfortably, "You're supposed to eat raw fish."

"Does it taste like licorice?"

"I don't think so-"

"Then _no _I'm not going to fucking eat it-"

England reached out and manually clasped his hand over Mr. Puffin's beak in irritation. "Honestly," he huffed, "I don't know how Iceland has put up with you." Directing his attention to the dismayed Iceland, he asked incredulously, "How do you do it?"

Iceland gave England a half smile. "I give him licorice."

England sighed as Denmark and Finland laughed behind him. "Of course," England muttered, giving the agitated puffin a vicious look.

* * *

><p>Dark England had a decision to make. He could side with the other doppelgangers (and possibly win) and start another fight to see who would take control of what. It would be very troublesome if that happened, and if they won, it was guaranteed that they'll fight among themselves. Who were they kidding? Every one of the hatreds knew it. They all wanted it. They wanted everything.<p>

They might as well worked alongside their greed, if the greed had broken free in the first place. It amused Dark England that it was the hatred emotion that broke out first. No other emotion in history had broken out before. What caused them all to break out at the same time puzzled him, though he rather not let his mind linger too much on it.

On the other hand, he could decide to 'lose' the game, then all his troubles would go away and he could return to England and not worry about anything. Ah, how simple it would be. There wouldn't be anything he'd have to worry about, since worrying and stressing over things clearly didn't work out for him (emotions weren't meant to worry; they were the very cause of worrying in the first place after all). No, he had to put up with idiotic ideas from Dark America and what had happened to that personification of hate? He went and blew himself up.

Dark England smiled grimly as he watched England and his team cross the front lawns from his window in the office. At the rate the countries were working at, Dark England already knew that the chances of ta doppelganger victory had considerably fallen ever since the Chicago incident. They were only delaying the inevitable now. Besides, the countries weren't countries for nothing. They had survived this long through whatever stupidity humanity had thrown at them. Sure, dealing with something that wasn't even considered 'physical' or living shocked the world, but they were recovering considerably.

"We live a month to wreak havoc upon thee yet thou hadst already won," Dark England murmured to himself. His grim smile widened to the point where he felt like he couldn't control it. He slowly clasped a hand over his wicked grin and dug his nails into his flesh. "No matter...I refuse to go without one last play."

* * *

><p>Iceland watched his darker counterpart intently through the crack in the wood. Dark Iceland passed by without suspicion, or at least, that's what they hoped. England didn't intend for his doppelganger to keep his promise ("Then why the hell did you ask him in the first place?" Scotland had scolded him.) and if Dark Iceland knew, then he was putting up an okay act since he didn't seem to be looking for anything in particular.<p>

Mr. Puffin sniffed when Dark Iceland was out of earshot. "Man, they don't even got a doppelganger of me."

"I don't think I'd be able to stand two of you," Iceland murmured, leaning back from the wood.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Shhh..."

England glared at the puffin until he was quiet (at last). "Alright, everyone is here, yes?" The Nordics minus Sweden nodded at him simultaneously. The two micronations, Sealand and Ladonia, gave him an intense look back, determined to prove their worth. Liechtenstein was present and unharmed, which was a good sing because if he ever lived to see the end of the doppelganger commotion and Liechtenstein was hurt, Switzerland would go crazy on him.

England felt a touch of nostalgia when his own brothers nodded at him in unison. Working together as a team...when was the last time they all gathered together on the same side of a great conflict without one of them forcing the other to?

Then again, they _were_ forced to join the team but for the sake of the world, they probably would have joined anyway.

"Would you mind explaining the plan?" Wales asked, "I think it would do us good if we know what we're doing."

A murmur of general agreement arose and fell to a hushed silence again when they heard footsteps pass them. They waited until Dark Netherlands went away and then England started to speak again.

"If I know my own hatred, he would have told the others about this game of ours," England whispered solemnly. "They'll be looking for us."

"What's the benefit in that?" Ladonia snorted.

"Half of us will be decoys while the other half find the weapons and destroy them," England explained. "Remember, you have to be caught _and_ captured to lose."

"What's the bloody difference?" North Ireland asked.

"I would consider that 'captured' means you have no chance of escaping. You'd be locked up if you are captured. Caught, on the other hand, would mean that you've been spotted or had a brief encounter and yet escaped."

"So then why didn't you say so?" Finland asked. "What if Dark England didn't get that part?"

"Well, if we play things right, he doesn't have to," England said. "If we were ever captured, then he'd see us and it wouldn't matter if he knew or not."

There was a silence. Nothing stirred from the outside of their hiding spot. Everything was so still that it was unnerving to sit in the quietude. Wanting to break the tension, Liechtenstein asked meekly, "Who are the ones responsible for creating diversions then?"

_The loud ones,_ England thought at once, giving Denmark and Mr. Puffin a quick look. Denmark blinked at England and Mr. Puffin flapped his wings in annoyance. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

"Denmark, Iceland, er...Ireland and North Ireland. A bit of magic will benefit you four. Five, I mean," England added. He turned to give his brothers a peculiar look, communicating only by facial expressions and telepathic messages. He intended for them to keep an eye on Denmark and Mr. Puffin, since they'd become reckless and eventually become captured.

Ireland and North Ireland gave him a sharp, curt nod of acknowledgment. A small part of England's tension lifted; he'd have to trust them to do their job.

"Stay hidden though. If they suddenly hear a lot of noise, it would be obvious we're distracting them," England warned quietly. "Everyone else, we'll be following Scotland. He knows this place best and he probably knows where all the secret passages are and the secret rooms." There was a small pause before England added reluctantly, "From now on, take orders from him. Until we finish our mission, follow Scotland."

Scotland raised an eyebrow in England's direction. He quickly adverted his eyes when England turned to look at him, coughing gently into his fist. "Alright, it's been almost a half hour since this Brit started the game. We need to last three and a half hours. In those three in a half hours, we need to be careful, you hear? After that, then we're free to finish whatever we need to do without them lurking around.

"And hopefully, we'll be able to save our part of the world," Scotland added quietly.

There was a gleam of determination in his eyes that made England smile to himself. It was the same kind of determination he had seen every time he tried to conquer Scotland in the past.

_Yes...how very nostalgic. _England thought.

* * *

><p>At last, another chapter! Ahh, I'm sorry for the long wait. I truly am. Of course, I have no excuse. Well, I might but I don't think it's an excuse at all. More rants about AP classes and rehearslas for contest (I'm in the orchestra) won't do me justice from your impatience for the next chapter. I apologize, though the number of times I say I'm sorry don't mean much, do they?<p>

Anyway, a quick author's note. The last sentence Dark England says, you know the one? "No matter...I refuse to go without one last play." I find that pretty funny in a way. They're playing a game so the word 'play' makes sense. Also, back then, whenever people spar, they also call it a 'bout' (at least, in Shakespeare's Hamlet they do) and they 'play' a bout, so they are 'playing' a fight. Also pretty appropiate.

And hey, Shakespeare. Play. Haha.

Yeah, I know, that last one was pretty lame and obvious. Forgive me again.


	65. The Omsk Hideout: Part V

The group froze the moment a large splash echoed through the sewers. North Korea didn't want them to stop and investigate the noise but regardless of his wishes, many of them slowed down, throwing a curious glance behind their shoulders.

"Keep moving!" North Korea snapped at them, "They're getting closer. We cannot let them gain any more ground."

There was no need to repeat. The countries hastened their pace but to North Korea, it sounded as if their movements had slowed down. Has fatigue struck them already?

"Do you know where we're going?" Lithuania asked worriedly.

Ah. So that was what bothered them. Well, in a sense, it bothered North Korea as well. In reality, he _didn't_ know where he was taking them and he had not considered it. His main priority at the moment was getting them out of harm's way, ironically.

He shot them a harsh glance and they cringed under his cold glare. Wasn't he supposed to ignore them? His boss strictly told him not to associate with...the majority of the world. And here he was, leading them towards what he truly hoped was safety.

Oh the irony.

"What sort of predicament have I found myself in, I wonder..." North Korea breathed under his breath.

"North? Where are we-" Lithuania started again but North Korea.

"You'll see," North Korea said impatiently. Honestly, he didn't want to admit he didn't know. He was not going to let his team even think for a second that his mind failed to find a way out. No; that was the very last thing he wanted.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lithuania sharing an uneasy glance with Estonia. Scowling, North Korea snapped, "Stop looking at each other! Eyes forward! Feet moving! Faster, faster! Keep running!"

Poland frowned and tossed his head over his shoulder. Lithuania reached down to hold onto his hand so that Poland wouldn't run into something, saying, "Don't look behind you when you're running!"

Poland tugged his hand out of Lithuania's grasp and halted, crossing his arms haughtily. "There's like, nothing after us," he complained. "Why are we even running if no one is after us?"

"What?"

Lithuania slowed to a stop and stared into the darkness behind them. North Korea, too, slowed to a jog. He held out his arm to stop the others and the team listened to the sound of their pants and the eerie silence they had escaped.

"So then...were we imagining the footsteps?" Estonia asked slowly.

North Korea's mind raced again as he analyzed the situation. No sounds were to be heard other than their heavy breathing. Of course, he was aware of his rapid heartbeat pounding in his ears; it had been a while since he felt adrenaline run throughout his body.

He enjoyed it.

North Korea gave Estonia a wry smile and said, "There is nothing...there is absolutely nothing..."

Estonia adverted his eyes from North Korea. "Yes...there is nothing."

North Korea, seemingly satisfied, nodded and clenched his hand into a fist. Laughing shakily, he added under his breath, "We still have a job to do...don't we?" he said as calmly as he could.

The rest held their breaths. There was a definite edge in his voice, and they grew wary again. It was difficult knowing that doppelgangers, the enemy, were around somewhere in the unknown, but it also troubled them that in their own group, there could be someone just as dangerous.

North Korea realized this and laughed coldly. "What good is there for me to do something? Whatever I want to do for my own benefit, I cannot. Not in this condition. I don't care if you trust me or not, and I'm sure it's the latter, but there is no choice, is there?"

Another uncomfortable silence followed his echoing voice as it faded in the sewers. Through the dimness, North Korea could see the silhouettes of his teammates and the tension on their sweat stained faces.

North Korea's smile grew a little. "Why fear me? I have nothing. I cannot do anything. If I were to do something, I would be severely outnumbered. Why would I risk something like that? Now if you want to leave, so be it. I, however, was assigned a task and I will fulfill it with or without your help."

Ukraine gave North Korea a small, nervous smile. "You're very ambitious."

"Is there something wrong with that?"

Silence.

North Korea's smile quickly faded as he turned around, facing forward once more. "No matter," he said casually, his cold, icy tone disappearing, "if there really is nothing after us, then there's nothing to worry about. Quit dawdling and hurry up. We haven't much time to spare."

If someone was to interrupt him, they were not given a chance. North Korea was already walking away from them in a quick pace. The team could only follow after him, though they hoped they were not following blindly. If they were given a choice on what to do, what would they decide on?

Deep down, they knew that they would not know and that the burden North Korea had forced upon himself was heavy. If given a choice, would they help him rather than follow his shadow?

Even with a choice, there would not be a difference; North Korea would do what he wanted, and whatever fate wanted them to do, they would do exactly what they were currently doing. They could only follow because with North Korea leading them, following was the only option.

So far.

* * *

><p>Russia knew his hands were in danger of being ripped off, but he did not care. Russia knew the pain could overwhelm him and he could fall as a victim by his own hands, and quite literally. Russia knew that it would not be easy to defeat his doppelganger, and it might as well be impossible.<p>

However, for the sake of his team, he would hold his darker counterpart back for as long as he could. He would not allow his darker counterpart to hurt anyone anymore.

He would not...

He could not...

Dark Russia showed no sign of recklessness. It was apparent that doppelgangers learned quickly; trick them once and their guard would rise once more, making them near impossible to take down.

Dark Russia's dark red, nearly black, eyes did not gleam like most of the other doppelgangers'. Russia felt as if the longer he glared into them, he would be trapped in the agonizing darkness. In Dark Russia's eyes, there was a vacuum that sucked up any sign of emotion. Though it was dark, Russia was certain that even if there was to be light, there would be no reflection in Dark Russia's eyes.

They were hollow and lifeless.

"You escaped," Russia whispered.

Dark Russia did not move.

Russia slowly thought the problem over. The blood from his hands ran freely, soaking his sleeves to the point where they could no longer absorb the crimson and dripped to the ground, forming a pool at his feet. He was not able to move his fingers but he felt as if there was no need to. He could stand his ground without using his hands, after all.

"Why are you here?" Russia asked.

Dark Russia held Russia's gaze for a little while longer before deciding to speak in a soft, low voice, "I do not know."

"How did you get here?"

"I do not know."

Russia narrowed his eyes. Dark Russia's expression did not change. He did not shift his position, he did not seem to breathe. It wasn't as if he needed to, but the sight of complete and total stillness started to unnerve Russia.

"When did you come out? Why do you exist physically and yet I still harbor this feeling...why do I still feel you inside of me when you're right in front of me?" Russia demanded. Answers. He needed answers. Never before had the world seen such a thing. He felt that if he didn't know, he would go mad.

Dark Russia seemed to sense this. "You're scared," he whispered.

Russia's glare worsened.

Dark Russia paused, savoring the tension. Then, quietly, he said, "It has been a little over a month, da? Why am I here? Why do you still feel me? You can never get rid of emotions naturally. The idea of me being in two 'places'...am I really in two places? Where am I really? Am I in a 'place'? Though you are a country, and therefore a 'place', where does an emotion lie in a country? A chunk of land? A piece of the earth?

"I am an abstract idea; something that does not exist physically. I am nowhere, but I am here in you. _With_ you. My location exactly, it cannot be determined. I am both nowhere and everywhere. I come from both nowhere, and anywhere. Hate is one abstract idea, and humans naturally harbor me. I am merely your piece of the hate. So where am I? That is up to you to determine."

Russia silently processed the words Dark Russia said. Grimly, he asked, "You answered 'where' you are. You are in me. That is what I believe, truly."

Dark Russia nodded curtly. "I see. It is was you believe. What we believe. What I believe."

"However...if you are an abstract idea, something that doesn't exist physically, then how did you gain your physical form?"

Dark Russia smiled for the first time. "I do not know," he said.

"What do you want? What do you wish to gain by going against us?" Russia asked, wondering how much longer he can stall verbally.

"What do I want? Truth be told, I do not know. I am an emotion. Can emotions have a sense of want? Is that not what your greed is for?"

"You doppelgangers have showed several emotions before," Russia pointed out with a scowl.

Dark Russia harrumphed. "So we have."

"And if you don't know what you want, isn't is better to return to me? Isn't it better to give up your physical body? Roaming the world with no reason, no ambition...what will you gain?"

Dark Russia's eyes narrowed slightly, giving Russia a cautious look. "Is that the only point of life?" he questioned. "Gaining? To live life, you must gain? Is that all we do?"

Taken aback, Russia stared at his doppelganger's contorted face of disgust.

"Is that what life is to you?" Dark Russia snarled. "Are you saying that a pointless life deserves death? Do you _know_ how many lives were lost during wars that seem pointless? _Do you? _Thousands of men, forced to fight whether or not they want to, for your benefit! Because of war that you and the other countries take part in, countless numbers of lives are lost! And you are now fighting to stay in control? How can you be satisfied as a country if your people die for no reason?"

"So that's why..." Russia whispered in realization. "You want to better the world...isn't that right?"

Dark Russia sniffed. "A world without death is impossible. But death can be avoided for a long time. The young able-bodied men who died in wars could have grown old and live a happy life. How is it that you are happy to win any war knowing you lost so much? How can your generals send men to war as a distraction so that they could send more men elsewhere? How can you sit back and let them kill off your people, throw them away as if they were nothing? How are their lives worth less than the men in the other group?"

Russia shook his head. "To think a form of hatred could be so concerned about this-"

"I am a part of you," Dark Russia said grimly. "That does not mean that I do not share your beliefs."

"My beliefs," Russia repeated quietly.

"Our beliefs," Dark Russia corrected harshly. "What do we believe, or used to? Tell me. Do you remember? Do _we _remember?"

"I want my people to be happy," Russia said hoarsely.

"Want? Not 'wanted'? You still do, da?"

Russia nodded.

Dark Russia scowled, "Then you understand why we could do better than you countries."

"But you are hatred. This doesn't seem to fit you-"

"I told you I am a part of you. I know I saw that we all, as a single emotion, are the same, but we are also part of the individual. Every hatred is different in a way, and I realize that in order to better the world, I know what I must do. I will do what you failed to do."

Russia's facial expression darkened. "What I...failed to do?"

Dark Russia's lips twitched up into a wry smile. "Oh how we both hated isolation...the past, you were always bullied...always alone. People were afraid of you, many fought you, and even allies were cautious around you. Our people suffered and since you did not have many allies, who was there to help you?

"We want our people to be happy. You failed to do so many times in the past. What can I do to succeed? I have pondered this many times, and talking to you right now has made me decide that I do, indeed, have a goal. A personal gain. I am no longer wandering without ambition. The other doppelgangers had forced me into their game, but I was never interested.

"But now, I changed my mind. I will show you I can do better. I will outdo you. This, I know."

Russia gritted his teeth. Dark Russia's words wounded him, brought back painful memories, and despite trying to keep his hatred under control, he could not help but seethe. "Do you really blame me for the lost lives of the people?" he demanded. "Do you not realize how much their deaths pain me? You're only an emotion; you cannot feel the devastation I have felt, and you _cannot begin to imagine the suffering I myself have felt!_ What you are, you are my hate. You only exist because I feel it, and I feel it because other countries have _killed my men! _And you have the _audacity_ to say I am satisfied?"

"You do _nothing_ to save the lives! If you had done something, they would have survived!" Dark Russia yelled.

"If I had done something, others would lose theirs as well!" Russia snapped. "I could save a few thousand men and lose thousands more! If I had let it be, and I did, only a handful would die rather than millions!"

"War could be prevented in the first place! If you could have done something-"

"_No matter what I do, I cannot prevent it! What had happened in the past, it cannot be helped! History is history; there is no changing it. If I could change it, I would but I have no power to do so-_"

Dark Russia scoffed, "Yes, that's right, isn't it? You have no power, no power at all."

Russia didn't know what happened. His mind completely shut out every sentient thought and the pain that he burdened him vanished. A blur of scenery passed by his eyes; he saw red in the darkness. He saw the whites of wide eyes and the whites of bared teeth. He recalled a flash of iron but the gray iron quickly became stained with crimson.

His hands were seemingly useless, but it turned out that if he did not feel the pain, he could still use them. Later, he found that splinters of his bones could be found protruding from Dark Russia's face, beads of blood running down his pale skin.

The wounds would close up around the bone, trapping it there so that his doppelganger now had spikes coming out of his face.

_My thoughts...I'm slipping..._ Russia thought as his consciousness ebbed away. He had not fallen into this state in a long, long time. His rampaging nature would soon take total control of him and he would not be able to think straight. He would not be able to think at all; from then on, it would all be on instint rather than his sentience.

_I can no longer..._

The rage Russia felt inside of him burned furiously that it felt as if he was literally cast in flames. The hatred bottled up inside of him, the hatred that he had tried to hard to contain, had finally broken completely. His hatred was loose and free at last, and the madness inside of him took over.

It was this that, Russia had believed, determined the outcome.


	66. The Kawasaki Hideout: The Final Part

Greece suppressed shudders as he barred the door, preventing the wild dogs outside from entering. Their noisy barks and growls would eventually attract the doppelgangers' attention, but they had led the dogs to what they hoped was a remote location in the building.

"Don't worry. We're on the twentieth floor; we have a minute or two to think, da-ze," Korea said casually.

"A minute or two?" Taiwan gave Korea a stunned look. "How can you just say that? For all we know, we're trapped! We might be walking into our own...well, death isn't the right word because we can't die-"

"Not normally-" Korea started.

"Oh don't tell me!" Taiwan sighed. "I don't want to think about unsettling things. Greece, how are you doing?"

Greece grunted, "I'm okay. I don't like dogs. As long as I keep thinking about them being inches away from me, I will have the will to keep them at bay."

"How will we keep them there?" Seychelles asked. "The perfume only worked for a few minutes and the cell phone only distracted them for a few seconds. What can we do now?"

Greece scanned the room, pressing his back to the door. Hong Kong and Thailand exchanged glances and rushed forward towards him, pressing their shoulders into the door. "Go and think, we can handle this, ana!" Thailand said, giving Greece an encouraging grin.

Greece nodded slowly, as if he was in a daze. He left the door and Hong Kong and Thailand bolted a step back for a moment, shocked at the strength of the animals outside. Then they stared at Greece, who had been handling the door without any signs of much distress.

"We can't, like, hold them off for long," Hong Kong said under his breath, rooting his feet into the carpeted floor.

Even though Greece had been a child, Ancient Greece, his mother, had showed him how her people-who had later become his- were strategic in war. It had been so long ago, but Greece had remembered the tactics used. If he could find strong, sturdy shield-like objects for the team and spear-like things, perhaps they could stand a decent chance.

"Korea, dissemble the back of those chairs!" Greece commanded.

Korea opened his mouth to say something but paused when he saw the fire burning in Greece's eyes. Greece was no longer passive and calm in behavior; there was something in him that made Korea think twice before blurting things out.

Korea nodded, suddenly serious, and got to work.

"Seychelles!" Greece barked.

Seychelles snapped at attention, intently watching for Greece's next words.

"Gather as many weapons we have here right now. Count up the ammunition and report back quickly."

"Yes, sir!"

"Taiwan!"

Taiwan straightened up.

"Try to find melee weapons. Spear-like items will be most preferable."

"On it!"

Greece glanced back at Hong Kong and Thailand, who were starting to lose their footing every time the door bolted. He hastily returned to the door and told Hong Kong to join Seychelles and Thailand to join Taiwan.

* * *

><p>Following the barking, Japan pulled himself upwards for several minutes, noting that he must be really high up by the time the barking was right below him. His best guess was that his team was holding the dogs off somehow because the dogs were in one place for the last couple of minutes.<p>

It had taken Japan a lot of effort to climb up however many floors he did; he was no longer young, but that didn't mean that he still couldn't use ninja skills to travel through the ceilings and air vents.

Peering out through the slits of the grate, Japan stared at the pack of ferocious dogs, foaming at the mouth. "Where did they get dogs? And for what reason?" he wondered aloud.

He didn't dare to loiter. He feared that the dogs would eventually notice his presence and proceeded on. Japan was certain his team was in the room the dogs were scratching at. When he had glimpsed at them, he had noticed that the door was scratched and clawed at viciously. How long would the door last?

* * *

><p>"Do we really still have <em>that<em> much?" Korea asked, surprised.

"We have plenty of ammo and I'm sure these fire irons will be fine for melee. There's only three though..." Taiwan said, placing them on the floor next to the firearms that Seychelles and Hong Kong organized.

"This can still work. Don't worry," Greece said, "and besides, we can scavenge a little after we get rid f the dogs."

A clank above them sent them jumping, eyes shooting upwards. There were scraping noises coming from the air vents and Greece scowled, "Could it be...?"

"Please tell me that's not another animal after us," Seychelles sighed.

The grate popped out and landed on the carpet with a dull _thud_. A head poked out and Taiwan exclaimed, "Japan! You're okay!"

"Japan," Greece sighed in relief. His voice shifted from firm to gentle again and he added, "How did you find us?"

Japan laughed nervously. "It's not hard to find dogs tracking you down. But if I was able to find you, then the doppelgangers surely will as well. Greece, I need you to...oh?" He examined the pile of weapons on the ground and eyed the dissembled chairs next to Korea.

"Never mind," Japan said hastily, climbing out of the air vents. "It seems as if you had the same idea I had. Can we do it though?"

Greece nodded. "If we think things through and stick together, we have a good chance. Just like the Spartans back at Thermopylae."

Hong Kong's eyes widened a little. "Are we going to reenact it?"

"Not exactly. We won't be camping, right da-ze?" Korea asked.

"No, we'll be on the move. We can't afford to stay in one place and wait for them to come. If they know we're in one place, never moving, they'll continue to do what they're doing," Greece said, his firm tone returning. "Thailand, Hong Kong, can you hold the door again? Just for a minute."

The two countries returned to the door and Greece left it for them. Hong Kong noticed that the door felt hollow and Thailand winced, feeling the claws scratch into the wood. There was probably an inche left; the door would break within a minute if not a few seconds.

Greece bent down and grabbed a fire iron in one hand and motioned for a 'shield' with the other hand. Korea handed over one of the backs of a chair and said uncertainly, "How are we going to hold that? There's no straps-oh...that's what the rope is for," he added, watching Greece cut one of the cords of rope with the fire iron.

Greece, tied the rope to the chair half, pulling it tightly with his mouth. His eyes flickered up at the others as they copied his movements and he smiled to himself. It was going to be a fun fight.

"Greece, the door's about to break, ana," Thailand called as the wood cracked a warning.

"Give those two equipment, now!" Greece ordered as Seychelles and Japan handed Hong Kong and Thailand guns and shields.

Greece gripped his fire iron and barked, "Formations! NOW!"

Hong Kong and Thailand sprinted from the door and to the middle of their formation. Greece, Japan, and Korea knelt at the front, shields held up so that it covered everything but the tops of their heads. Thailand and Hong Kong formed the second line, right behind Korea and Japan respectively while leaving an empty space behind Greece. Taiwan and Seychelles held the back positions, standing next to each other in front of that empty space with their guns aiming at the blast of wood.

"The three of us will keep them here," Greece yelled, bracing for impact, "and attack them with the fire irons. You four shoot at them but don't waste bullets!"

The dogs collided into the shields and Japan and Korea grimaced at the force. Greece grunted but held his shield steady.

"These work pretty good," Korea said in amazement. With Thailand blocking and covering the left side of the formation, Korea was free to stab and jab at the beasts in the front.

The deafening sound of guns rang in their ears and one by one, the dogs fell as their blood stained the walls and carpet.

Japan grimaced as he punctured one of the dogs' throat; the dog spewed foam out before it fell, twitching. "How gruesome," Japan muttered to himself, but he had seen worse in war.

"One last one," Greece said to himself. He sent the tip of his fire iron through the skull and the beast thrashed for several seconds before finally giving up. Greece pulled the fire iron out and wiped the blood on his pants before rising to a balanced stance.

"Japan, move to the middle and raise your shield up so that it blocks the top. Korea, shift over with me to the right. Thailand, Hong Kong, keep the shields up on the sides. Taiwan, Seychelles, block the back. Let's go."

* * *

><p>The trip down seventeen floors was peaceful and for a split second, they thought they were able to investigate freely. When they crept into the third floor, they ran into trouble.<p>

"Holy kimchi..." Korea hissed as Greece silently motioned for them to back up around the corner. Korea leaned out a little to peer around the corner but Greece pulled him back into formation. "That's a lot of dopelgangers, da-ze," Korea added with a scowl.

"Can we even manage with their strength?" Seychelles whispered.

"Japan,"

Japan stared at the back of Greece's head. "Yes?"

"Smoke bomb..."

Japan slowly slipped off his backpack, thinking over what he assumed was the plan. "That would alert our presence, but what do we do when they can't see? We can't swoop in and incapacitate them, can we?"

"That's exactly what we're doing."

"What?"

Greece turned his head to look at the rest of the team, absorbing in their shocked expressions. "What happened to sticking together as a group?" asked Taiwan.

"We still are," Greece said casually, "but this isn't the ancient times. All of their old tactics have to be...modified to fit with our situation."

"Modified? Like, how?" Hong Kong asked.

Japan handed Greece a few of the smoke bombs. Greece accepted them and rolled them in his hands. "I will throw them one at a time. The doppelgangers that get caught in it are our targets. The moment the smoke bomb goes off, we go in before we lose sight of them and I will move out of the way so that the place where I was once standing becomes and opening. We will move in and surround the doppelganger and I will move back while Japan ties them up. Everyone else, protect him; there will be other doppelgangers coming in to see what's going on."

"Can I tie them fast enough though? It may work for a few of them but eventually, Dark Mongolia will have all the doppelgangers surround us," Japan whispered.

"That is, if they can see us," Greece added, holding up the smoke bombs. "Everyone else, keep them in your pocket for easy access. Only throw them when necessary."

Korea grinned. "Alright, this sounds like fun, da-ze."

Greece nodded at the team and they nodded back. Taking a deep breath, Greece tossed a smoke bomb out towards Dark Indonesia and quickly followed the path the bomb took, making the rest of the team hurry after him in fear that they lose him.

Greece saw Dark Indonesia's face contort in resentment before the smoke covered them. However, Greece had already memorized where Dark Indonesia was standing and made a grab for the doppelganger. He caught onto Dark Indonesia's arm and Greece stepped aside, pushing the doppelganger towards Japan before slipping back into position, shield up.

The rest of the team knelt down, Thailand and Hong Kong holding Japan's shield up on the top so that the island nation was able to pin down the doppelganger by puncturing its throat before tying it up.

"Are you done yet?" Greece asked when urgent voices sprouted up in the distance.

"Hold on, I'm nearly done," Japan said under his breath, "just have to...there. Next!"

Taiwan and Seychelles stepped to the side as the group moved on so that they didn't have to trip over Dark Indonesia as they backed up. Greece had thrown another smoke bomb and they were quickly pulling in the next doppelganger.

Japan caught the doppelganger the Greece dragged in and stabbed his fire iron into Dark Papua New Guinea's throat. The doppelganger hissed furiously but Japan pinned it down and tied him up. "I'm already short on rope," he said to Greece.

"Here, take mine," Seychelles said, slipping the cords off her shoulder.

"Keep moving," Greece said as they continued.

Japan managed to tie four doppelgangers up before he became exhausted. The doppelgangers put up good fights and it took more effort from him to pin them down now that they know what they were doing.

"Japan, switch places with me, da-ze," Korea said urgently.

"Is it alright with Greece?" Japan panted.

"It's fine, but Japan, you'll have to stay strong with your shield. Ah, no, Thailand, Hong Kong, keep Japan's shield up there. Korea, give Japan your shield. It's easier that way. Move quickly," Greece added, throwing another bomb.

Korea had only finished tying up Dark Philippines before two doppelgangers approached them at once. "Korea, grab that top shield! Thailand, Hong Kong, hold onto your own! Keep it sturdy! Girls, same thing! Hong Kong, keep the one on your side at bay! Thailand, lure the one on your side over! Make sure not to break formation!" Greece yelled.

Gunfire broke out again and Hong Kong found it odd to be shooting at his own counterpart. While Dark Hong Kong was kept busy with Hong Kong himself and Japan, on the other side, Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan were trying to get Dark Palau.

"We can't get her if she knows what we're trying to do," Taiwan said.

"Here, allow me, ana," Thailand said. He cut quickly cut a long piece of his rope and fastened the end of it to his dagger. Aiming, he flung the handmade rope dart towards the doppelganger and the dart wrapped around Dark Palau, pulling her in.

Snarling, the doppelganger jerked away and Thailand crouched, trying to hold onto the rope. "She's strong," Thailand grunted, wrapping the rope around his wrist.

"You might get a rope burn if you do that, da-ze," Korea said, reaching for his pistol. He held the gun up and released the safety catch. He squeezed the trigger and sent a bullet through Dark Palau's head, distracting her momentarily for Thailand to reel her in.

"Here you go, and she already comes with a rope, ana," Thailand grunted as he handed the doppelganger to Korea.

"Thanks. Oh hey, do you want your knife back, da-ze?"

"That would be great, ana."

Korea nodded and fastened the ropes on the doppelganger before cutting the dagger free with his fire iron.

"Korea! Here's the next one!" Hong Kong called as he pushed his own doppelganger towards the middle of the formation.

Dark Hong Kong used his sudden transfer to his advantage and tackled Korea as he fell. Korea slammed into the ground, pinned down by Hong Kong' doppelganger who made a jab at Korea's chest with a hidden blade.

A bullet blasted through Dark Hong Kong's head, making him flinch backwards in retaliation.

"I got your back," Taiwan said to Korea, lowering her hand gun.

Korea flashed her a grin before sending his fire iron through Dark Hong Kong's face. Hong Kong, who had glanced back, grimaced and said, "I hope that doesn't, like, happen too me one day."

"Greece!" Seychelles called urgently, "There are four more coming! What do we do now?"

Greece gritted his teeth. He didn't feel like worrying the rest of his team but on his side, he could make out another three approaching in the thinning smoke. They coudln't possibly take one seven, could they?

"Turtle!" Greece roared.

"Turtle?" a few voices echoed.

"Shields up!" Greece snapped.

Alarmed by this more short tempered side of him, the nations huddled up, holding onto their shields as the doppelgangers approached.

"They could probably break the shields," Japan muttered to Greece.

"I know," Greece breathed.

"Now what?" Hong Kong asked as he readied himself for a kick.

Greece scolded himself for leading the group out into the open instead of using the wall to their advantage. He blamed himself for their situation and he knew that Ancient Greece would have looked down on him for such a costly mistake.

"Greece,"

Greece glanced over at Japan, who was watching him. "It's not your fault. You said that ancient tactics will not work without modifications anyway. Does it matter that we're surrounded? We can still move, can't we? We still have smoke bombs...what's next?"

Greece smiled back at Japan and fixed the determination into his heart. It would not waver, not now.

"Everyone have smoke bombs?" he called.

In response, the team raised their hand that held one or two bombs. Greece lifted his own hand and yelled, "Disperse!"

At once, a dozen bombs went off and an incredibly thick cloud of smoke bellowed from the formation. The team sprinted off in different directions before circling around to hug the walls. Quickly, they knew that they would all be searching for each other on the wall; they began to walk along it, hoping to run into each other.

"Who's this?"

"Huh? Oh, Taiwan, da-ze."

"Oh? Korea and Taiwan are here, ana,"

"Thailand! Oh, where are the others?"

"Who's here? I can hear Taiwan but there's got to be more..."

"Seychelles, da-ze!"

"Korea? Wh-oh!"

"So this is, like, where everyone is."

"Hong Kong? Is that you, ana?"

"Be quiet everyone! I can hear you!"

"Japan!"

"Taiwan, shhh, da-ze!"

"Wait, so if we're here, where's Greece, ana?"

"Everyone, follow my voice. We will reach the end of the hall and from there, we will locate him."

"Okay! Everyone, follow Japan, da-ze!"

"Korea, like, shhh!"

"Okay, okay, sheesh, da-ze."

Japan coughed as he escaped the cloud. Everyone but Greece emerged from the hall and they rounded the corner, waiting for any signs of movement. While Japan kept an eye around the corner, Korea examined his shield and laughed, "Well, mine is split in half. Sorry about that chair, Japan, but I don't think I can put it back together."

"If you like, ask the Nordics, I'm sure they can put it back together," Hong Kong said pointedly.

"Where are they anyway? I know that Sweden is with America but..." Seychelles said thoughtfully.

"They're with England, ana," Thailand said.

"Shhh! We still have a mission," Japan whispered.

Moments passed in silence and the team exchanged anxious glances. "What on earth is going on?" Seychelles asked nervously.

"Oh no...what if they captured Greece?" Taiwan asked.

Korea sniffed, "Oh no! The brave and valiant Greece! Sacrificing himself for our sake? Oh woe is him, da-ze! We will not let his sacrifice go in vain, I swear it! On my word, he shall be remembered as a hero throughout all of Kore-"

"Korea, stop it, this isn't a drama, ana."

"Oh, but it could be, Thailand. It very well could be. Where was I? Greece will be remembered as a hero throughout all of Korea and a gold-no, _platinum_- monument will be made out of him and will be displayed in-"

An explosion cut Korea's sentence in half. The blast shook the floor and caused some of the lights to shatter. As darkness overwhelmed them, other explosions could be heard from downstairs. The team crouched down to avoid falling down, leaning against the wall for support.

"What's that?" Hong Kong asked.

"Is it Greece, ana?" Thailand asked hopefully.

"Or is it one of the weapons going off?" Seychelles asked.

At once, the team sprung up and made a run for the stairs. Hong Kong and Taiwan dug out their flashlights and led the way with the others following them down the stairs. If they passed doppelgangers on the way, they didn't stop to think about it. When they made it down to the already destroyed foyer, they were stunned to see China and his team.

They were also alarmed at the army of China's people behind them.

"China?" Japan asked, stunned.

"That's me, aru!" China said, jabbing a thumb at himself with a grin.

"What is this?" Taiwan asked, bewildered.

"I'm glad to say that the Suzhou hideout is taken care of and I freed my people held captive there. And now, like Germany said, we're here to help you, aru!" China said with a smirk. He held up his right arm and beckoned for one half of his people to march forward, explosives in their hands.

"Have you found out where they're keeping weapons here yet?" Vietnam asked.

Japan sheepishly shook his head. China frowned for a moment, but then he brightened and said, "No matter, we'll blow the whole place up."

"Blow the whole place up, da-ze?" Korea asked excitedly. "Oh aniki, I should have known that you would come up with a brilliant plan like that! You know, plans like this one originated from me."

China's face darkened considerably as Korea laughed carelessly, oblivious to China's expression. Malaysia coughed and patted China's back. "Shall we move on? This half will take care of this floor. The other half will plant explosives on the supports throughout the building. Make sure we account for everyone so they won't get caught in the line of...well, fire. And explosives. Everyone, move out!"

Hundreds of people stampeded past both teams, trampling over the debris and mess in the foyer. Japan weaved his way through the people and reached China. "China, can you ask them to help find Greece? We lost him recently and we are concerned for his safety."

China gave Japan a blank look. "You lost him? How can you lose a guy as big as he?"

"Smoke bombs," Hong Kong said from his spot.

"A lot of them," Taiwan added.

"We set about fifteen or something off at the same time, ana," Thailand said.

"At the same place too, da-ze," Korea grinned, "ahh...what fun."

Japan laughed nervously under the weird looks he received from China and his team. Scratching the back of his head while adverting his eyes, he said, "Let's just...let's just find him, alright?"

* * *

><p>Within half an hour, so many things had occurred. The doppelgangers, alarmed by the sudden invasion started to to act individually, taking matters into their own hands. The abrupt change caused them to act like this and, despite what they might have thought beforehand, their own paths turned everything into chaos.<p>

Greece, who was in Dark Mongolia's hands, had been freed by Australia and Hong Kong when Seychelles and Wy distracted him by slamming a chair over him (all thanks to Korea's idea after he remembered an episode of WWE that America showed him).

The moment the last explosive was fixed, China took account for all of his people since he knew them all by name and remembered how many of them there were. They fled the area and Korea, for good measure, wasted all of the left over ammunition on the doppelgangers that attempted to pursue them.

"You know, I used to think the doppelgangers were so badass," Korea admitted, "but now, they seem desperate. You think we might win, da-ze?"

"Of course. We will win. It's our world, after all," Japan said, smiling. He handed the switch to Greece and said, "Why don't you do the last attack? The winning attack on the Kawasaki Hideout should be handed over to you."

"Can I?" Greece asked, surprised. His tone had gone soft again but his eyes still shone with fiery passion.

"Go ahead."

Greece accepted the offer and smiled at the building, standing alone in the rising sun.

He flicked the switch and the Kawasaki Hideout was done.

Three down, four more to go.


	67. The Edinburgh Hideout: Part IV

Denmark had thought that his job was the easiest compared to what the other half of the team was doing. He, Iceland (and Mr. Puffin), Ireland, and North Ireland had the honor to act as a distraction. To Denmark, the art of distraction was something that not many people could do as efficiently and craftily as he. Of course, the others on his half of the team may be of some use (especially a certain puffin that consistently requests licorice and would not shut up about it) and he acknowledged the fact.

"Dropping old cannonballs off a tall building," Denmark chuckled, watching Ireland and North Ireland use their magic to hover the dusty balls of iron, "check!"

"Barricading the path to the office with knights," Denmark mused as Iceland fitted the base of a set of empty armor next to identical sets on the road, "check!"

"Sending Mr. Puffin to fly up and drop a surprise around the place," Denmark grinned, squinting his eyes up at the shrinking figure flying up into the night sky, "check!"

"Wait, what surprise?" Iceland asked uncertainly. "I didn't see him take anything."

Denmark threw an arm around Iceland's shoulders, pulling him closer. With his free hand, he tapped Iceland's head casually and said, "Let's just say I hope he doesn't ask for any restroom breaks after this because if he did, then he didn't do his job correctly."

From that moment on, Iceland made sure to check where he was stepping before moving forward.

"Is this really distracting them?" North Ireland asked, leaning against the wall as the group took a small break. "I can't hear any commotion from 'em at all."

The rest of the group shifted their weight to the other leg thoughtfully. From the silence shrouded around them, they knew that something was off. Denmark expected some sort of movement in the hideout by now, but it was alright. He was only executing 'Level One' diversions. There were several other levels; he just needed to step up his game.

"So what do you have in mind, you crazy Dane?" Ireland asked, sticking his hands deep into his pockets. "We're all ears."

The next half hour was spent debating over the fact whether or not to set explosives randomly around the grounds. Ireland, North Ireland, and Iceland strongly opposed the idea of ruining the castle just to buy time for the others whereas Denmark and Mr. Puffin didn't see that much of a problem.

"They're weak you know," Denmark said persuasively. "But if you want, we can explode them in mid-air."

"How do you expect it to stay up in the air while it goes off?" Iceland asked. Although, the moment he said that he immediately regretted after Denmark's gaze whipped over to Mr. Puffin.

"What!?" Mr. Puffin exclaimed, only to have Ireland silence him with a sharp wave of his hand. For the next few seconds, his beak seemed to have been glued tight because he hopped maniacally on Iceland's arm, trying to convey his panic.

"Why don't we just have loud conversations everywhere we go?" North Ireland asked wearily, watching the puffin in bemusement. "Your bird is distraction enough."

Iceland laughed weakly. At least Mr. Puffin was able to contribute something, even if his method was awkward and inappropriately timed.

At times, both Ireland and North Ireland were slightly irked that no one could ever remember their magical abilities, even though they were put to use recently. Then again, sometimes, they were glad no one remembered because if Denmark had asked them to levitate explosives into the air, they would refuse mainly because their powers were rusty from lack of use (and risking a falling bomb wasn't worth it). That and Scotland would probably be after their necks if shrapnel disfigured the castle in any way.

However, Denmark was persistent in their mission. Determined to raise the bar to 'Level Two', the nation swaggered off in search for means of diversion. The two brothers placed a sincere hand on Iceland's shoulders and looked down at him with a sympathetic expression.

"I am so sorry," they both said grimly, "that you are related to this man."

Iceland released a breath of air and smiled at the ground. "Sometimes, I am too," he admitted, "but Denmark means well. To be honest, he's probably so cheerful to make up for his past."

"Which reminds me," North Ireland said gravely, "will we be seeing his doppelganger around?"

"If I remember correctly, his doppelganger was one of the first ones we fought," Iceland said, contorting his face slightly with concentration. Belarus had picked a fight with Dark Denmark, and even if it was all a month ago, it seemed like ages had passed since then.

"What happened there?" Ireland asked.

A series of 'um's and 'well's escaped Iceland's lips before the country shrugged apologetically. "I can't remember that much."

"Oh? That's too bad...but let's go catch up with Denny before he gets into major trouble, alright?" Ireland winked, clapping Iceland on the back.

* * *

><p>"Scotland, you son of a bitch..."<p>

Scotland coughed into his fist weakly. "Sorry. I forgot that I laid traps down here. It's been so long ago and I can't remember every single detail."

Sealand and Ladonia began to thrash and complain, claiming that the other was pinching the other's stomach and that something was burdening their breathing.

"You jerk!" Sealand whined, pounding his small fist into England's shoulder. "Do something!"

This half of the team were piled up together, compressed in a tight ball after Scotland triggered trap several centuries old. The floor below them had disappeared and they fell into some sort of pit, old bones softening their fall.

"Why you..." England grumbled, struggling to free himself from underneath Leichtenstein's arm and Finland's body. He flailed out an arm to find something sturdy to use as a support but retracted it the moment Norway clicked his tongue irritably.

"That's my head."

"Ah, sorry..."

After watching England wriggle around for a few more seconds, Scotland decided to take pity on his brother and offered his shoulder. "Here, use me to lift yourself out. There should be some sort of tunnel, a vent, if you will, along the wall a few feet up. That tunnel should lead us to a small room that will ascend back to the surface."

"And this is why you're leading us around and not England," Sealand piped up, only to yelp as Ladonia's foot happened to plant itself in his face.

"Because of him, we fell in here," England sighed wearily, "but that's not the point now. As long as Scotland here can find a way out of these traps, I don't care. But I swear, if one of the traps harm us and even incapacitates us for a while, you'll never hear the end of it."

"It's fine, you Brit," Scotland scoffed. "Did you forget the rules of the game? As long as we're not captured within the time allotted, we win, even if we _do_ lie around in some trap, knocked out. And it's not like we can die in the traps really...we'll get up eventually."

"Eventually," England rolled his eyes, "but I promised Germany that if we finish our mission early, or finish it in general, we'd rush back to his house and help if it's needed." He squinted his eyes in the darkness, groping the dirt wall for a possible tunnel entrance. Bits of gravel and rocks crumbled under his touch and fell back down to the others. They shifted uncomfortably.

"Ah, England?" Finland called. "You're kind of...stepping on my arm and it's hurting..."

"What?" England glanced down and squinted at his feet. "Oh, sorry..."

A chorus of grunts and gasps followed England everywhere he stepped. He cringed every time it happened and when he stepped on Leichtenstein's leg, her squeal made him reconsider standing after he played an image of Switzerland shooting at him mercilessly.

"Scotland, why don't _you_ find it?" England asked wearily, feeling defeated. "I don't want to waste any magic now for light and it's probably better if you lead when you _do_ find the tunnel."

Scotland held up a hand to England, gazing right into his eyes. "Help me up."

England reached out and grasped Scotland's hand firmly, hauling the nation out of the pile. With the absence of England and Scotland's bodies in the heap of nations, the rest of the team adjusted themselves to suit their satisfaction and watched as the two countries groped the wall for their escape.

"How many traps did you set anyway?" Wales asked. "Or do you remember at all?"

"You want my honest words?"

"Is it reassuring as a lie?"

"Lies _can_ be reassuring now that I think about it..."

"Depends on how good the lie is."

"But do you want a lie or the truth?"

"I'm asking for the truth, unless the truth is harsh."

"So then you're asking for a lie?"

"Are you implying that the truth _is_ harsh?"

Scotland paused and Wales stared up at him. England wheeled around and clapped a hand behind Scotland's head. "The question was, 'how many traps did you set'!" England snapped. "A number-a bloody number- is all we need to know. Why is a real number such a big deal?"

"England, of all people...you should know why it's a big deal," Scotland said grimly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Wait...you're making me nervous," Ladonia blurted out, glancing back and forth between Scotland and Wales. "What's going on?"

"Is the number that bad?" Finland asked, tension mounting. "A dozen traps? Two dozen? Or maybe three?"

"It's not the number of all the traps that should be worrisome," Norway said dully. "It should be the number of traps active."

"Scotland, just how many bloody traps are there?" England asked loudly, shaking Scotland's shoulders.

For some odd reason, Scotland started shaking even after England released his grip. The team watched as Scotland held a hand over his mouth as he laughed silently. England's patience grew thin and he raised his arm to smack some sense into his brother but Wales reached out to grab England's ankle, stopping him while he mouthed, 'Wait.'

Several seconds later, Scotland's laughter became audible and he leaned against the dirt wall, heaving his chest as he attempted to calm down. "Oh..." he groaned, "oh, bloody hell..."

"Are you alright?" Liechtenstein asked nervously.

Scotland grinned down at her. "Yeah, I'm great. Absolutely terrific. You want an honest answer, Wales? England?" he added to his brothers.

"Obviously," England said while Wales continued to stare up at him.

Scotland's expression softened as crossed his arms. "There are several hundred traps lying around underground the castle and, who knows, outside. Many are active if this one still works, but I don't know which ones are active and which aren't. If I think the weapons are hidden in the very depths of the underground tunnels of the castle, then we'll be going through hell."

England's jaw dropped for a split second before he remembered that it was bad manners and he pursed his lips, trying not to burst out in exasperation. The others didn't do as well as he.

"So then...what? _What?!_" Ladonia yelped.

"I-is it too late to join Denmark's half?" Sealand laughed nervously, adjusting his hat.

"It isn't," Scotland said in a business-like tone. "Like I said, this tunnel will lead back to the surface." A pause followed his words before he mumbled and tiny, "I think..."

"You _think?_" Sealand exclaimed in horror.

"You can't expect me to remember every single escape route, can you?" Scotland retorted. "And this was a couple hundred years ago or something. Hell, I don't even remember when."

"You know, we can talk about this when we escape," Finland said calmly. "It's still cramped in here and it would be nice if we all can stretch and get a breath of fresh air."

Several minutes passed before Scotland finally found the entrance. His elbow scraped by the hidden entrance and after the rubble fell, he caught the tiniest sound of a metallic scrape. It was confirmed after he and England dug their fingers into the fairly well-compacted dirt wall concealing the wooden hatch; a sudden jerk of the handle opened up a musty tunnel leading to what they hoped was the surface.

"We're relying on your memory, Scotland," England said, emphasizing every word.

Unfazed by the burden, Scotland shrugged and climbed into the tunnel, which was spacious enough for even a tall country like him to crawl on his hands and knees. England urged Sealand and Ladonia in after Scotland since they were anxious to escape, followed by Finland, Norway, and Wales. England felt sorry for Liechtenstein, seeing as she was the sole girl in the team and so she had to go last so that she could preserve her modesty. That and England was sure that Switzerland would do something if anything accidental happened.

"Just call if anything happens, okay?" England told her, to which she nodded.

* * *

><p>"Okay, try number two!" Scotland announced after the team retraced their steps from the entrance to the undergrounds. They had reached the gaping hole in the corridor where they fell into the first trap, the dull beige of the bones peering up at them as they glanced downwards.<p>

"How do we cross?" Norway asked.

Scotland nodded to the side of the corridor. "It's tricky," he said, "but there's enough room for us to shuffle across over there. Careful though. We may have a foot-long ledge but if you look down, you can lose your sense of balance."

"Who's first?" asked Finland.

Chuckles escaped some of their lips but it was followed by complete and utter silence.

"Uh, Scotland?" England coughed.

"What? Are you seriously?" Just because I'm the leader, it doesn't mean I'm first for everything."

"It's what a leader does, hence the name _leader_."

"Well...as leader, I say Wales goes first," Scotland declared, clapping Wales on the back. "Go on then, don't keep us waiting."

"I'm not going first!" Wales exclaimed, bewildered.

"I say Sealand goes," Ladonia said under his breath, jerking a thumb in Sealand's direction.

Sealand pointed a finger at England and declared, "No way! The jerk goes!"

The heated argument went on for a while and England's stomach fell. This was only one trap with hundreds more in the undergrounds, depending on what route they take. It was going to be a long game.

* * *

><p>"Denmark...how did you get into that position?" North Ireland asked weakly, although he really didn't want to know.<p>

Denmark squirmed in the air for a while, his ankle caught around a rope that left him hanging in a tree. Mr. Puffin flew from Iceland's shoulder and landed on Denmark's caught foot, pecking at the rope in amusement.

They had decided to move outside the castle walls for whatever Denmark had in mind by using Ireland and North Ireland's transportation magic skills, but the effort caused quite a bit of strain from the two ("Again, pretty rusty now that we're not with the others," they had mused).

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Ireland asked dully. He stuck his hands into his pockets and sighed. "That Scotland and his traps...I thought they were all inactive."

"Wait...are you saying that they're still lying around?" North Ireland asked in disbelief. "Wouldn't the government do something about it? How can they leave traps out in the open when this place was a tourist attraction?!"

"Well they took away all the obvious ones," Ireland said, "but Scotland has them others hidden. I bet there are loads of them underground."

"That's where _they're_ at, right?"

"Looking for the weapons? Yeah."

Iceland couldn't find an opening in their conversation until now, and he hurriedly asked, "What are you talking about? What traps? And by 'they', do you mean England's half? What's underground?"

Ireland's cool gaze examined Iceland for a moment before he laughed. "Back in the old days, Scotland was often attacked by England his his army. In fact, a lot of people were attacked by that edjit, including us, mind you. So Scotland laid several traps-"

"'Several' is an understatement, Ireland," North Ireland stated.

"I know, but it's no use causing panic around here," Ireland said coolly.

"It can't be that bad," Iceland murmured.

"That's what they all say, interestingly enough," Ireland insisted. "Let's just say that if the other traps are active like this one, they're fucked."

Iceland cringed at the thought. "But they have England, Scotland, and Wales. Can't they do something to protect the others?"

"There are certain laws of magic, and there are a lot of things magic can't do because of that," North Ireland said. "As for the underground, it's a series of complex tunnels to a hidden room that serves as a hiding spot for royalty or special things. Scotland thinks the doppelgangers might be hiding the weapons there, and it's a good place to hide it too."

"Anyway," Ireland interrupted, "let's get Denmark down. He's probably tired of hanging around-"

Denmark's body jolted downwards and the three halted, shooting their gaze up to the rope. Mr. Puffin chose that moment to launch himself into the air, declaring that while the three nations were idly chatting, he took the initiative and saved Denmark by pecking at the rope.

"Who's a useless puffin _now?_" Mr. Puffin jeered.

Denmark lifted his upper body up as if to look at the nearly severed rope but the action took its toll and it snapped. Ireland and North Ireland took a step forward and Iceland's mouth opened as if to say something but the three ceased their movements and sighed in relief when Denmark's flexibility came into play.

"If you were an actual human, you'd win gold at the Olympics for gymnastics," Ireland mused when Denmark flipped in the air to position himself for a safe landing.

Denmark gave Ireland a smirk as he freed his ankle from the rope. "You think I can disguise myself as a human and give it a shot for the next one?"

"Yeah, I doubt that."

"That's too bad."

"It is, isn't it?"

As Mr. Puffin returned to Iceland's shoulder triumphantly, North Ireland asked, "So what's the diversion this time? We've already played a quick game of bowling with the remaining cannonballs-"

"Was it the time that one dopp confiscated my licorice?" Mr. Puffin demanded angrily, wings flapping furiously.

"No," Iceland said, "it wasn't."

"Was it the time we played football with the helm of that armor set?" Mr. Puffin asked.

"It wasn't, but it was a pretty damn good game," Ireland mused.

"Was it the time you guys reenacted some battle in the armory?"

"No, it wasn't," Denmark grinned.

"Then when _was_ it?" Mr. Puffin demanded.

Iceland restrained himself from rolling his eyes wearily. "None of the doppelgangers confiscated your licorice."

"What? Then where did it go?"

"You ran out. You imagined that they were taken."

"Bullshit. I know one of those doppies got 'em. Let's go and get it back!"

"Okay, go ahead," Denmark said lightly.

"What?" Iceland stared up at him. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Rummaging through their things sounds like it would distract them. Where is the entrance to the underground tunnels anyway? As long as we can keep them away from there, the others are fine, right?" Denmark added to Ireland and North Ireland.

The two nodded and Denmark's grin widened. "Awesome. But first, before we go looking for Mr. Puffin's licorice, do you two have any magic left to do something for me and then transport us back into the castle?"

"Depends," North Ireland said slowly. "What do you need us to do?"

"Fire. I need fire," Denmark said casually. "It's dark at night and if it's something they need to spot clearly, fire will stand out."

"But we can't catch something on fire out here. And we can't leave someone out here with a torch; that's just idiotic."

"But what if the fire really wasn't fire?" Denmark asked.

North Ireland cocked his head to the side while Ireland scrunched up his nose in confusion. "What do you have in mind?" Ireland asked.

* * *

><p>You guys don't want to hear it. I understand. I apologize too much; it's worth nothing now.<p>

I rarely like to leave Author's Notes after a chapter, but I feel a need to explain myself. All I'm saying is that finals and AP Tests suck. They can...they can place their theoretical lips upon my posterior repeatedly. And writer's block for that matter.

But I finally sucked it up and wrote. Seriously, I spent hours on my computer, forcing myself not to go anywhere until this chapter is done. I find it amusing that though I love writing, the worst part about it is that actual writing. Coming up with the story is the best part; putting them into words and make them sound good is another thing. Only certain people have the ability to do that for a long time and not make the later chapters sound like crap. I certainly wish I have that ability.

Anyway, there are a few things I wish to note about this chapter. Let's see if I remember any.

When Mr. Puffin mentioned football, I don't mean American Football. I had to consider this term because not only do my readers come from America, but there are thousands (or at least hundreds) of people outside of the States. So what does Mr. Puffin mean by football? It's football/soccer, not American Football.

Another thing I wanted to point out is that my research on Edinburgh was conducted so long ago that I can't remember every detail about the castle. I know for sure that there isn't a series of underground tunnels (at least, I think; who knows, the government might be hiding something) and I'm not even sure if there are any trees outside the castle walls.

Okay, let me take that back. Obviously there are trees outside the castle walls. If you go several miles in one direction, you're sure to come across at least one. Allow me to rephrase; I don't even know if there are trees on the land belonging to...whoever owns the castle (I'm sure the government does or the royal family or something, but just to be sure, I have no idea so don't go saying that some fanfiction writer told you that the castle is owned by so and so).

I was actually planning on making this chapter the final part to the Edinburgh arc because surely by now you guys have several plots from different places wrapped around your head and you can't remember what is going on. I understand you completely; I had to look back at my chapters to remember what was what and who was with who. I actually forgot Norway was with them (sorry Norway, I love you) so that's saying something.

Luckily, I only have Edinburgh and Omsk on my hands and then later, we have Bordeaux with France's team and then, at last, Schwerin, in Germany. I can never remember to spell that correctly; I had to look it up. Goodness, those few chapters will kill me. Anyway, don't you worry my dear readers. After Germany's arc, it won't end right then and there. There is actually one little arc in between that and the end and I sincerely hope you enjoy it.

But until then, I must continue to fight my procrastination (and now that summer's here, I can fully devote myself to writing!) and entertain you guys with updates. Oh dear, I just hope I can continue to fight my laziness. It's going to be a tough battle, so I'll be fighting alongside my dear nations.

Thank you for reading and thank you for putting up with me. I appreciate it. :)

***Oh, and by the way, after I posted this chapter, I decided to come back and add in a small recap of what happened just to freshen your minds up!

America's team succeeded in their mission by exploding themselves up...quite literally. Don't worry; I know you guys are concerned about them, (I mean, they dropped bombs on bombs; ouch) but as countries, they will eventually get back up.

China's team flooded their bases and came to rescue Japan's team. This resulted in Greece getting the honor to explode the Kawasaki hideout and so now at this point, Los Angeles, Suzhou, and Kawasaki are taken care of!

We are currently in the middle of Edinburgh and Omsk. I predict that Edinburgh will have one more chapter before it ends and Omsk...hard to say; at least two but no more than four. I'm pretty sure there will be two more chapters of Omsk. But hey! The next chapter is Omsk, so those of you who are waiting for Russia and Dark Russia, you're in for a treat.

And last, but not least, we have France's team with Bordeaux and Germany with Schwerin but of course, you already know that because I just said so up there.

Okay, I think that's it for now. I'm certain I covered the basic storyline for this part of the story. In fact, I'm looking forward to ending the story. I enjoyed working on it (and sometimes, not so much since writer's block a real pain to deal with) but it would feel awesome if I could end it and feel some sort of closure. Of course, there's that other Hetalia story I'm working on so I'll have to deal with that.

Oh boy. A lot of writing, but I look forward to that other story. So until then, I'll see you guys later.


	68. The Omsk Hideout: The Final Part

"About time we made it," North Korea sighed as he climbed out of the manhole.

He was grateful there was a car in front of them that hid them; he wouldn't dare climb out if they were out in the open right in front of the tower.

The storm had died down, though it was still frosty and windy. In contrast to the white snow, their clothes would attract the eyes of the enemy and this realization alarmed North Korea the moment Poland stepped into the streets and took a casual gander.

"All of this snow would make, like, a pretty big snowman," Poland mused. "What do you think, Liet?"

North Korea spun his head around and shot Lithuania an urgent glare. Lithuania coughed into his fist and reached out to grab onto Poland's arm. "Another time, okay?"

"Nothing's happening though," Poland pointed out. "We should be, like, fine."

"For now," North Korea murmured, "but who knows if we were spotted." His gaze shot up to the tower looming over them in the gray sky. Whatever was waiting for them in that tower, they'd have to prepare themselves for it. A brief message had arrived from Germany's house and though it was incredibly difficult to make out from behind the static, they were assured that America, China, and Japan had completed their mission.

It piqued North Korea's interest that Japn's team also had to deal with a tower and almost asked how they got in but he refrained himself from doing so; it would be shameful if he were to ask for a hint on how to do _his_ own task.

Still, getting into the tower would be difficult, although his gaze suddenly lowered and fixed itself back at the manhole they had just climbed out of.

Estonia pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and asked, "So what do you think? What are we going to do now?"

North Korea rolled his head casually on his shoulders silently, oblivious to the looks of uncertainty of the others. He then proceeded to sigh and smile cruelly at the tower. "I saw we walk in and negotiate," he said coolly.

"What?" The others stared at him and North Korea found himself slightly amused at the surprise and shock that etched onto their paling faces.

"You're insane..." Estonia muttered, wincing. "They're doppelgangers, North...they'll rip us to shreds if we approach them directly."

"They need us alive, don't they?" North Korea asked. "I just want to talk to them."

Ukraine furrowed her eyebrows in slight concern. "But do you know how to talk to them?"

North Korea wondered if he should take offense to Ukraine's lack of faith in him, but then again, he didn't really blame that. Instead, he stuck his right hand into his coat pocket and pulled out his gloves that he stored away in fear of getting them drenched from the sewers. "It shouldn't be hard," he said in an even tone, pulling the gloves over his hands. "Germany tortured them through kindness. Surely the lot of you can reproduce this kindness. I will use this as my trump card."

"But they probably already know of this weakness," Lithuania said. "Don't you think they'd be incredibly cautious about handling us?"

"If they're so wary of us," North Korea said, raising an eyebrow, "then what is there to worry?"

There was a small silence. Ukraine had a nervous frown on her face and Estonia and Lithuania both shifted their weight around. Poland stared at North Korea for a few moments, as if wondering what was going on in his head.

"You know..." Poland said slowly, "sometimes, I think that you're all just, like, talk."

The other countries snapped their attention to Poland and then back to North Korea, watching for North Korea's reponse.

North Korea's jaw would have dropped if he didn't stop himself. Recovering from his sudden shock, he cleared his throat and replied ever so softly, "We shall see."

* * *

><p>"Russia!"<p>

A voiced called the country, and yet he wasn't so sure if it existed. It sounded so faint, as if it was a mere figment of his imagination.

"Brother!"

It sounded familiar.

"Get up!"

Up? Up where? Where was up? What _was_ up?

"Russia! Big brother! Please!"

The voice was starting to irritate him. Why wouldn't his mind stay silent and let him enjoy the peace and silence?

Although, all of a sudden, he didn't feel at peace. Something hurt. A lot. Yes, he was sure of it. But why? And how?

A light pounding sound echoed, as if someone was running towards him. Heavy breaths were taken and the voice cried out, "Brother!"

The country blinked. It was dark. A revolting smell appeared, lightly at first, but now it overwhelmed him. However, he could not gag. He could not move. There was something on top of him, and it was heavy. Was this the cause of his pain?

He tried to flex an arm but his arm was dead; both of them turned out to be unresponsive. He tried his fingers and found, much to his slight amusement, that they were useless as well. Though his eyes had not yet adjusted to the dimness, he could blood running and pooling up on the ground he laid on.

He could feel the stickiness of the blood that soaked the back of his coat. He could now taste again; the somewhat familiar metallic tang filled his mouth.

As his sense slowly came back, the voice he had heard seconds before came directly above him. A shadow entered his range of sight and the voice spoke again. "Brother! You've won! You've defeated your doppelganger!"

Doppelganger?

"Now that bastard will never come between us!"

What?

"Russia? Are you with me? Brother! Please answer me! I want to hear your voice! Russia...Russia...brother?"

Russia blinked slowly. He tried to speak but he stopped himself. Whatever was on his body shifted and the shadow above him became tense.

"I don't understand," the thing on top of him said slowly.

"Why aren't you dead?" the shadow above Russia demanded shrilly.

The thing rose warily and the immense pressure was lifted and Russia was finally able to look into the red eyes of his doppelganger.

"I don't understand why you fight so hard," Dark Russia said. There was no trace of resentment or distaste. Rather, there was an odd tone of curiosity and, to Russia's surprise, defeat. Never had he heard a doppelganger sound so defeated.

"When people are certain of their own beliefs, they fight for them," Dark Russia said. "I had believed that we were right. You believed that _you_ were right. But even after I explained everything...why do you still fight?"

Russia stared up at the darkness. Belarus made no sign that she was going to answer. They both waited for Dark Russia to continue on.

"Could it be because countries are selfish?" Dark Russia asked. "No...people are selfish, not the countries themselves. The people make up the country, so I can't blame you for it."

The crimson in the doppelganger's eyes suddenly faded from a brilliant scarlet to a more subdued shade. Dark Russia shrugged his shoulders and laughed. "Well...I can't help it then. You don't really follow your own actions. The people make you do it. They brought it upon themselves, da?"

"No."

Dark Russia raised an eyebrow at Russia.

"We, as countries, exist because of our people; this is true," Russia said. "But we too have consciousness. I'll admit it. We are as cruel as humanity."

"So then we were right?"

"No, I didn't say that," Russia murmured. He closed his eyes. He felt exhausted and even speaking took a toll on him. "If you are a part of me, and I am flawed, then how can you be sure that you are not as well?"

There was another silence and Russia assumed he gave his doppelganger something worth mulling over. His determination to end the doppelganger crisis had paid off and sent Dark Russia thinking over who was right.

No, neither party was truly right. There was no complete and absolute "right" when it came to humanity. Most of the time, things were considered "right" by those of the majority, and only the majority that won or overpowered the other.

Russia could safely assume that he and the other real countries of the world were a majority and the doppelgangers were the other. The conflict was whether which party was "right" and this was determined through force.

If it was force they wanted, they'd get it.

And so Russia delivered it.

And now, he and Belarus could only wait in the darkness for the doppelganger to collect his thoughts.

Dark Russia's lips twitched upwards into a smile though his eyes narrowed into cunning slits. "I think you're right," he said casually. "As emotions, we too are flawed. Well said, Russia."

"So you'll go back into him now?" Belarus asked suspiciously.

"No, not yet," Russia said hastily. He paused and heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm weakened," he breathed, taking in shallow gulps of air.

Arms wrapped around his head and Belarus' lap served as his pillow despite the fact that blood threatened to stain her clothes. "I will fight for you, big brother," she whispered, stroking his hair gently.

Russia had no power to pull away or push her surprisingly gentle touch away. Instead, he looked over his doppelganger, who raised an eyebrow at him. Through a brief stare, Dark Russia harrumphed. "You'd think my job was done."

"If you think we're right, then shouldn't you help fight for our cause?"

Dark Russia's eyes gleamed. "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

><p>It surprised the group how smooth North Korea sounded when he requested a talk with Dark Russia. The doppelgangers merely shot him a quick look of indifference with a small hint of suspicion before they informed him that the doppelganger he was looking for was out.<p>

"Then who can I talk to?" North Korea asked patiently.

"Why do you want to talk?" Dark Ukraine asked. Her eyes flickered over to her original and they both shared a look, although the doppelganger version seemed much more sinister.

"I want to negotiate," North Korea said simply.

"Oh?" Dark Latvia cocked his head at his piece of information. It was odd to see someone who looked identical to Latvia (save the eyes) to hold himself so confidently and slyly. If the real Latvia was there, the differences would be even more obvious.

"What do you have in mind?" Dark Ukraine asked.

North Korea held his hands together behind his back and allowed his gaze to wander. The lobby of the tower was inviting despite the danger it posed to him and the rest of the world. There was no way there would be weapons here. Perhaps Germany gained false information; perhaps some bases held weapons while others were safe places. Or maybe Omsk served as the information-gathering division's base, if the doppelgangers had established such a division.

"Why conduct a meeting here? It's very impolite," North Korea said sternly, as if scolding them. "Take us to a private room and then I'll talk."

He expected the two doppelgangers to look over the others in disapproval. Then again, this somehow hurt him. He knew that out of all of the countries on the planet, he was one of the more secluded one, the one that not many others talked to. And yes, he may have some plans that dissatisfied the rest of the world. However, the idea that the doppelgangers gave them implied that he would be the weak link out of the entire world and that they somewhat trusted him.

At least, enough to not give him such a condescending look.

That hurt. Just a little.

However, he gave no thought about it the moment they entered a room that seemed desgined for meetings. The two doppelgangers took a seat on the far side of the long table and the countries sat on the side closer to the door.

Now that they were in, North Korea longed to make an escape from the two doppelgangers' eyes and search the building. It was two against five; he knew that they stood a chance. Nevertheless, he must stick to the plan he had made prior to entering the tower.

Interrogation was going to be fun.

"I believe that the city here is not a good base and I would like to offer a place in my house," North Korea said, lacing his fingers together as he propped his elbows on the table. Leaning his chin on top of the platform he made with his hands, he added, "And I can assure you that it will be safe for discreet operations. Not many countries have been to my home, after all."

The doppelgangers had not been impressed until now, where they exchanged looks. Even though the looks were mere glances, it was still something and North Korea took this moment to shoot Poland a look, signaling him.

Poland jumped out of his seat and and declared, "The room in here needs to stand out more."

Dark Latvia shot Poland a glare but it quickly changed to indifference once again. "Sit down."

Poland ignored him and walked around the table and to the walls, running a finger along it. "And the walls need to be more shinier, more sleek. This color...it's totally not fitting the style around here," Poland continued, shooting the doppelgangers a look of boredom. "For shame! I say we we renovate the place!"

While Dark Latvia's attention was fixed on Poland, Dark Ukraine's eyes didn't leave North Korea. North Korea gritted his teeth, passing it off as irritation for Poland while in reality he cursed Dark Ukraine's attention.

"As I was saying," North Korea mumbled, attempting not to attract Dark Latvia, "I've had it with the other countries and the ones sitting with me believe the same. We're all tired of the so-called first world countries and how arrogant they are. People could do better, and so I side with you."

"I can believe that you would," Dark Ukraine said quietly, "but the others, I don't believe."

North Korea, again, felt somewhat insulted. He ended up grinding his teeth now but thanks to Poland's rant about the color of the room, he could shoot a glare towards Poland and all would be well.

"Fine. But I'm keeping them. Take me if you will, but I'll keep an eye on them myself."

Dark Ukraine gave him a hard stare. North Korea gave her a hard stare back, though he felt Estonia's foot brush his underneath the table. _I know, Estonia, _North Korea thought, _I'm getting there. If this keeps up, I'll let you know when._

"It's your call," North Korea added. "My house, I believe, is more suited."

"No, it's not my call," Dark Ukraine snarled.

"Do you wish it was?" North Korea asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dark Latvia stood up abruptly and excused himself. Even Poland paused in his antics to watch the doppelganger leave the room. Dark Ukraine seemed slightly alarmed.

"Where is he going?" Estonia asked, directing his gaze back to her.

Dark Ukraine had a strange look on her face, as if she couldn't register why Dark Latvia would leave so suddenly. She must have sense an emergency in Dark Latvia's motions because she too tried to excuse herself.

"You won't leave this room," North Korea barked, "not while I'm here."

He jumped out of his chair and dashed to the left, blocking the doppelganger. Estonia and Lithuania rushed to barricade the doors and Poland prevented the doppelganger from trying to escape by tossing one end of the rope he had to North Korea. Together, the two of them bind Dark Ukraine up and fastened it.

"You!" Dark Ukraine barked, giving her original a crazed grin. "Do you remember World War II? Do you remember how horrible it was? All of those people of yours-"

North Korea clapped a hand over the doppelganger's mouth. "Damn you," he hissed. "Don't pay attention to her," he added to Ukraine's darkening expression. "She's trying to feed off of your-"

Dark Ukraine sank her teeth into North Korea's hand and he withdrew out of reflex, wincing in pain as the blood seeped his sleeve. "Are you going to sit around and do nothing while the rest of the world continues to fight on?" Dark Ukraine added hastily, her grin broadening. "There will be an eventual World War III and what then? What will happen-"

Poland threw excess rope over Dark Ukraine's head and pulled so that the cord would catch on her teeth. Dark Ukraine's head tilted back as Poland tugged at the rope and her words were silenced.

"Eaa..." the doppelganger chirped. "Ah eel eaaa..."

Fear. Dark Ukraine felt fear. But perhaps she herself did not fear something; she sensed it.

"What do we do now?" Lithuania asked as he and Estonia stacked the chairs in front of the door. "If we try to interrogate her, would she even reply?"

"It seems as if Ukraine holds a strong grudge over World War II," North Korea said under his breath. His eyes flickered over to Ukraine, who stared at her doppelganger with a, to his surprise, melancholy look.

"She's right though," Ukraine whispered. "What if another war breaks out? My people...what will become of them?"

"Ukraine, what will become of your people if you let the doppelgangers win?" Estonia asked. "You can't let that happen. We all can't let that happen. For once we're all on the same side to protect our people, to protect those we cherish."

"But how do I know we won't fight after this?" Ukraine asked softly. "Next time, will I be your friend? Next time, will I be your enemy? Countries have died before. Some died by the hands of their friends."

"We'll worry about that when the time comes," North Korea hissed. He silenced himself when Dark Ukraine attempted to break free. Tightening his grip on the rope, he added, "And unlike me, you have friends who will protect you to no end. All of you do! Now shut the hell up and do something _productive!_"

His words broke Ukraine out of her thoughts and she was suddenly active, rushing over to help disable her hatred. Germany had told them that tying doppelgangers up was one way to disable one temporarily; the other known way was to pin them down so that they couldn't move anymore.

"Through the neck," Poland said somberly as he watched Ukraine pierce her doppelganger with sharpened pipe. The team had been stocked with them for the purpose of disabling doppelgangers; Belarus preferred to stick with blades, however.

"Russia and Belarus...I wonder if they're okay," Ukraine said offhandedly, gazing out the windows.

"They'll be fine," Lithuania smiled. He flexed his fingers and gazed at them. "Trust me. They can hold their own."

Shouts disturbed the brief peace and the walls vibrated every time a loud _thud_ was produced. Their door bolted several times but the chairs loyally held their place. Until a doppelganger crashed through the bare wall beside the door, leaving a gaping hole into the hallway.

"Russia!" Ukraine exclaimed in relief. However, her face paled and the rest of the team followed suit with North Korea scowling. "Dark Russia?"

Dark Russia blinked at them and smiled like he did when they first ran into them. However, the smile didn't not make them grimace. It seemed almost kind.

"I found them," Dark Russia said to seemingly no one. He cocked his head, disregarding their apparent discomfort. "It's good to see you all so safe and well, da?"

The real Russia leaned over and peered into the hole and his face brightened at the sight of his friends. "There you are!" he exclaimed, though his voice sounded frail.

If it was possible, the expressions of the five in the room had changed for the worse. At the sight of Russia's wounds and the staggering amount of bloodshed, memories of unpleasant battles and wars darkened their eyes and dulled their features.

"Oh?" Russia frowned. "Is no one happy to see me?"

"Russia...what happened to you?" Ukraine asked, throwing herself to her little brother. She tried not to crush the country as she embraced him, panicking over the cuts and broken bones. "Where's Belarus?" she added after examining his body.

A crash echoed in the hall and there were more shouts and curses. Russia and Dark Russia glanced to their right and regarded the noise as if it was normal and expected. "If you follow the curses, you'll find her," Dark Russia said.

"So wait...what? You're like, totally on our side now?" Poland exclaimed incredulously.

"I had a paradigm shift," Dark Russia sighed. "Although I don't know how long I'll stay like this. I might revert back any minute," he said darkly, giving his original a warning look.

Russia smiled gently and, leaning on Ukraine's shoulder, said, "Then let's finish this up."

North Korea blinked. He did not expect this at all. Out of all of his calculations, never did he think this would happen. "Wait," he said, contorting his face into confusion. "I'll ask how you're on our side another time, but I'm curious. Are there weapons here or not?"

Dark Russia gave North Korea a haughty laugh. "They're scattered all over the city," Dark Russia mused. "Weapons are present on several rooftops and some in the parks. Luckily, I've mapped out where they all are and all of this information is in this building. Just find it in the planning room and you can go out and retrieve them."

"At least we don't have to destroy it," Russia beamed. "The others had to, even though it might be more beneficial to keep them."

Ukraine stiffened. "But...surely you won't use them for war, right?" she asked nervously.

"Who knows," Dark Russia grinned.

"No, it will most likely be used to safety reasons," Estonia said hastily. "Should we go on then? I would prefer not to linger around and I'd like to use our advantage before it's out of our grasps."

Dark Russia exchanged a look with Russia. "Then I suggest you stay away from me as far as possible," Dark Russia said sweetly.

* * *

><p>North Korea located the map that Dark Russia had made of the weapons and checked with Germany about the unusual settings of the Omsk Hideout. Germany sounded relieved that they were doing fine and said to call in their respective armies to take care of it and asked for them to move on and back up the next team.<p>

"But China's already taken care of," North Korea said flatly.

"Oh, yes, my mistake." Germany sounded flustered. "China has gone off to help Japan and they are all now heading your way. Of course, you have it under control so I'll send all three of your teams back to Europe. America's team-"

"Do you have to bring up that idiot?"

"Sorry."

"No matter. Go on."

"America's team will move on to England's when they wake up-"

"Wake up?"

"America bombed himself."

North Korea found this to be highly amusing.

"They'll move on to help England. If England's already done, then those two will move to France. Then, if all of you are done and my house is the only one left, then everyone will be returning back here."

North Korea sighed and tapped his foot as he watched Dark Russia shove a doppelganger through another wall. Perhaps Poland was right and that they needed to renovate the tower.

"So, final orders? Bring in our armies and have them take care of the weapons? Should we wait to meet up with China and Japan's teams?"

"I'll tell them to meet you there so don't move."

"And then we go to France?"

"Yes."

"Why not your house?" North Korea asked. "It's closer. And why not split it up so that you and France both have extra forces?"

Germany sounded exasperated on his end of the line. "It's...a pride thing. I don't want to drag anyone else unnecessarily into my problems-"

"Too late."

A slight growl. "Pride, North. It's all about pride. Only when the others finish their tasks I shall let them in. The plan has been established; there's no changing it."

When North Korea got off the line with Germany, he found Russia on the rooftops with Dark Russia and the rest of the team.

"It's so beautiful when it's not storming," Lithuania smiled. He glanced to his left at Belarus, who was watching the fighter jets soar above.

"I wanted to see an explosion," Belarus stated icily.

"You want to see one of Russia's cities explode?" Lithuania asked, shocked.

Belarus froze. "When you word it like that..." she muttered.

Russia nodded at North Korea when the country approached them and took a seat several feet away from the rest of them.

Russia glanced at his doppelganger, whose eyes sported a more purple color rather than a red one, and Dark Russia grunted. He took several steps towards North Korea and lifted him up and over his shoulders, marching back to the team despite the Asian country's threats.

"There, there," Russia grinned. "Join us just this once. It's not every day we see you gather around with us."

"There's a reason why I don't," North Korea sneered.

Dark Russia refused to let him go and he ended up draped over the doppelganger's shoulder, humiliated at the fact he was easily picked up and hung like a fool.

Although, he had to admit, the sky looked beautiful.

Russia, who was watching North Korea, was pleased at the fact the country had decided to shut up and watch the sky with them. However, he could feel something come back to him, as if his doppelganger-no, his hatred- return.

Although hatred could never truly be destroyed until death, Russia was relieved to have a part of him back. He'd have to learn to control it, and he was certainly glad he had his friends with him to help do so.

After all, America promised that the Best Buds Group would help with this.

The countries watched as tiny figures of people from whichever country they hailed from lined the streets and, several minutes later, appear on the rooftops. Slowly, Dark Russia faded and North Korea found himself falling onto the ground, the doppelganger holding onto him disappearing.

Surely by now the other doppelgangers would fade, and by now, the weapons had been collected and the Omsk Hideout did not exist.

Four down, three more to go.

* * *

><p>I'm so sorry! It's late, it's really late! I missed deadlines upon deadlines and...<p>

If you're curious, I blame video games.

But no one's going to blame video games; you guys blame my lack of motivation and, to some extent, myself. I understand.

But! I managed to convince myself to write! Like, seriously, today, I wrote 98% of this chapter in one sitting because I forced myself to. The other 2% was from another day where I was lazy to continue. However, I liked how it turned out.

So, in total, it took me three hours to write the 98%. It's late at the moment; it's like, 2:11 a.m so that shows how determined I am to finish the Omsk chapters!

Next we'll have France (at last!) and then after France we have England for the final part (I hope).

When's the next update? I don't know, so it may be a while. However! I have news! I made a blog and I'll hopefully write more often. Through the blog, you can track down my progress and probably even scrapped chapters that I threw away and all of that stuff. :D

jenniferviendung. wordpress. com (Without the spaces of course)

Other than that, I'm done. I'm like, so tired. Now if only I can get the motivation to write for the other stories...


	69. The Edinburgh Hideout: The Final Part

Honestly, the group was weary of the traps that had activated along the way to the bowels of the underground labyrinth. Many traps were outlandish, eliciting several remarks from England about how impossible they seem to be. How fictitious.

"Really?" Scotland asked, ducking under old axes swinging about in the narrow passageway. The creaked horridly with age, loosening the dirt in the walls and ceiling. "What makes you say that?"

The moment after the swinging axes, a section of the wall before them shifted slightly, causing the group to halt. Everyone but Scotland jumped when the wall shot out and slammed into the other side. The rumble made upon impact was deafening and the dust cloud that bellowed from the walls obscured their vision.

"Like that," England coughed. "How did you even manage to get traps like these to work? And why so many under this castle?! You'd think something like this can only be found in fairy tails or legends or-"

"Can it be helped that I have a very active imagination?" Scotland coughed, fanning the dust away from his face. The wall then retracted, much to their surprise-though Scotland then had an "oh yeah..." expression take over and wasted absolutely no time to leap forward before the wall could jut out again.

"It's only five feet wide," he said hastily. "You-"

His words were interrupted when the wall interfered. The moment the wall returned, Scotland continued without skipping a beat. "-must cross to this point before it comes around again."

"How long do we-" Finland began but the wall shot back out.

"How long do we have?" Scotland asked in confirmation once the wall retreated. "Four, six seconds?" He gave a backwards glance over his shoulder and let out a long whistle. "We actually have to get through...three of these?"

"Three?!" Liechtenstein exclaimed, her eyes widening.

"Exactly," Ladonia scowled. "Why'd you put three of these here?"!

Again, the wall separated them with a boom. But the moment it retracted, Scotland was gone and they could see a second wall slamming into the other side of the passageway, but noticeably quicker.

"It'll hurt if we get trapped in between these..." Wales murmured, running a hand through his hair. With a sigh, he tightened his fist and cocked his head with a wry grin. "Well, see everyone on the other side."

Eying the wall, Wales made a dash to the other side, followed closely by Sealand. The sudden movement of the micronation took England aback, but before he could chide him, the wall closed them off once more.

Sighing, Finland gave England a smile. "Well, we better not waste time."

And with that he too sprinted off once given the chance. Liechtenstein glanced at Finland for a split second before taking the initiative to leap forward and follow through.

That only left England, Norway, and Ladonia, each of them giving the two ahead of them a hopeless gaze. The longer they stood there, the farther away the others must be. Plus, the dirt and dust flying all over in the air was starting to sting their eyes. Norway rubbed at his eyes and Ladonia blinked several times before giving in and growling, raising his entire forearm to furiously ease the irritation.

"We can't stay here forever," England murmured.

"We know that," Norway murmured back, and with that he grabbed England's wrist and Ladonia's hand and dragged them through the first wall the moment it cleared the way.

If there was time to stop and shout at how risky doing this without any warning was, England would do it. But the fact that it took him two seconds exactly to figure out how to work his feet again left him with a few more seconds; he did not look forward to being a pancake.

The other five were probably out of the trap by now. Finland and Liechtenstein weren't in between the first and second wall anymore. And they caught a glimpse of Sealand scurrying past the third and final wall, but just barely.

It made England uneasy and he found his palm to be sweaty. Freeing his arm from Norway's grip, he wiped his hands on his pant leg and watched the second wall for a moment, noting the speed increase.

Norway merely watched it for a few seconds before moving ahead with Ladonia still latched to him. "Hey!" Ladoina yelled. "Let go of me you-"

And his words were cut off with the wall.

The silence was unnerving. England wasn't sure if they made it, and if they didn't, what a gruesome, bloody mess he'd come across, and then he realized that he's have to drag them out unless he wanted to leave their physical bodies there to be continuously crushed over and over.

He sincerely hoped that would not be the case. Which was why he was relieved when he saw Norway and Ladonia watching the third wall. Ladonia was still complaining but Norway paid no attention. The country, did, however, glance behind his shoulder at England as if beckoning him to join them already.

And so did the next time the wall came around.

* * *

><p>Fire.<p>

A massive form of energy, brilliant gold with the most richest oranges dancing under the darkened heavens. Rings of this roaring element circled the grounds, enveloping the castle in a passionate embrace. It was beautiful. And it was a pure force of utter destruction.

In the eyes of Denmark and his group, it was how they distracted the enemy. Surely Scotland and his side would be safe, going about undetected in their game. If the complexity of the underground tunnels was not enough, then this would surely suffice.

And so the five, including Mr. Puffin, watched from afar in the dark. Ireland and North Ireland stood side by side, eyes glued intently on the fire with a solemn expression. North Ireland's lips parted slightly as if to say something but he hesitated.

"A shame," Iceland said quietly, "how fire can be so stunning and yet..."

Ireland made a small noise of agreement, eyes never leaving the fire.

Denmark was unusually quiet. His expression was placid, eyes incredibly emotionless.

In the distance they could make out the shadowy figures along the castle walls run about. Their voices were drowned out by the crackling of the fire consuming everything in its path.

If the doppelgangers took a moment to examine the flames, perhaps they would have noticed a sudden falter of fire in the east before it burst back into a petrifying inferno. Thrown into a turmoil, one tended to overlook crucial details. To think that doppelgangers had that same weakness.

But they were fragments of their respective country, and every country was made up of people, who were far from perfect.

And the countries watched. In the night with their faces illuminated by the mirage, they watched.

* * *

><p>The underground tunnels seemed ridiculous at this point. Worn by the dangers the further they descended, they could only attempt to smile when Scotland announced their arrival.<p>

"Although..." he said softly, hands resting on the knobs of the double doors, "I highly doubt that we'll find anything. How long has it been?"

A quick glance at his watch. "Only three hours..." Scotland breathed to himself. "Unless you lot want to wait another hour as a precaution..."

"Four hours was our limit right?" Finland asked. "What if he's waiting for us in there?"

"What if Denmark successfully caught his attention?" Scotland challenged.

"What if he didn't?" England blurted.

Scotland dropped his hands to his sides and scoffed. "Well this entire thing is a risk, isn't it? Don't ya think that without some risk, we'd get nowhere?"

"Is this risk worth taking if it turns out that he's in there?" Wales asked, furrowing his brows.

"If he kept his word it's only him," Liechtenstein said, fingering the hem of her dress anxiously.

"But do we even know if he kept his word at all?" Norway interrupted. He sighed and folded his arms. "If he has several others here, we won't be able to stand a chance."

"If that's the truth then don't you think Denmark would try to warn us the second time we went back to the surface after we fell into the pit?" Wales asked.

"My doppelganger's magic can create illusions of the others if he wanted to," England snorted. "And even if that's not the case, how would Denmark find us so easily? How would he even know we went back to the surface in the first place? It's not like we contacted them about it."

"Well who's fault is that?" Scotland sneered.

"I'm not the leader now, am I, Scotty?" England sneered back.

"Hey, hey, let's not fight among ourselves, okay?" Finland laughed nervously, placing a hand on each of the two's shoulders.

"So what will we do now?" Sealand whined.

"Shut up," Ladonia mumbled at him. "Don't you whine."

"No fighting," Liechtenstein reminded him gently.

Sealand bit his lips and jerked on England's sleeve. "Oi...can't you use your magic to make us invisible and we can go in?"

"That doesn't explain how the doors opened by themselves."

"Well then you make us invisible and Scotland can teleport us in or Wales can or-"

England decided that if-no, _when_, things return to normal, he'd have to either explain to the micronation that magic couldn't be used to their liking all the time or he could just erase Sealand's memory about it. He had a feeling that Sealand would badger him constantly about it from that moment on.

"You know, what do we have to lose now?" Scotland asked quietly. "If that dopp is here by himself, we can maybe talk it out. And if we must fight, we can take him. The chance there are others with him...we can still do it. There's no way he'd bring the entire faction here, right?"

He placed a tentative hand on the right knob.

England averted his eyes. Staring aimlessly, he muttered, "America's team...they're supposed to back us up when they're done with their part. If we fail here, they'll come."

"America?" Wales repeated, a wry smile gracing his lips. "The hero? Hah. Maybe he'll be our hero this time around."

"I have a bad feeling about that though," Liechtenstein whispered, but no one caught her words.

Two different futures could play out at this point. One future burdened with cowardice and its consequences. The other suffered of pre-mature fear and anticipation of what was to come. The first would have occurred if they had waited for _his_ wrath. The second; the risk was taken. And the fear that accompanied that risk tormented them.

But they took this route nevertheless.

And he was waiting for them.

Perched on a stone throne, Dark England met their eyes and that mere gaze froze their blood. His dark eyes were on them, and there was not enough light to reveal the scarlet gleam. His pretentious poise implied his victory. He was free to do as he pleased. It was his win, and their loss.

Their loss.

"You..." Scotland breathed. He closed his eyes and tilted his head upwards. "No surprise, really. I have seen it coming. I would be more surprised if you weren't here."

"I'm surprised by the fact you're alone," Finland stated, glancing at the dark corners. He frowned at the emptiness. "No weapons...? Nothing?"

"Nothing?" England groaned, falling to his knees. "You don't mean it, Finland, do you? We spent the game searching for something that is not here? To only be caught an hour before our victory? Is that what we played for?"

His chest tightened. Something seemed to drop to the bottom of his stomach. The weight of failure kept him down. Their victory was supposed to be the turning point in this ordeal. But what would happen now? Just pondering this made him sick. He clenched his fists so that his knuckles whitened. He dug his nails into his palm. He gritted his teeth. _Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit!_

"You idiots."

It was his voice that spoke, but they all knew it was not the England shaking in anger on his knees. The others around him met the doppelganger's eyes. But there was silence. Only after a moment of agony did the real England raise his head, green eyes locking with red.

Oh the situation he was in was pathetic. England, _the_ England, who used to be _the_ greatest power in the world, on his knees after losing looking upwards to a _cowardly_ version of himself, situated in some throne. This England was only a _part_ of the original; he was beaten by someone who wasn't even whole. This England was waiting for his predetermined victory; he merely sat there while they struggled against Scotland's maze and traps.

"Oh how I hate you so much," England croaked.

Dark England breathed in and closed his eyes. "I know. I can feel it."

Caught up in his anger, England failed to realize his doppelganger had dropped the old English. "How long...?"

"Since the beginning."

"If you knew that we'd come here in the first place," Norway said nonchalantly, "why bother playing?"

Dark England clasped his hands together. "I was bored."

"You sat there for the past three hours," Ladonia said incredulously. "Of course you'd be bored."

To his surprise, Dark England chuckled. "I monitored everything. Lovely, absolutely lovely. Well done." To add to his praise, he gave them a light applause but ceased when the glares deepened.

"How now? What's the matter? Wasn't it amusing?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Where are they?" Scotland demanded. "Where are you hiding them?!"

"What?" Dark England asked, stunned. "Weapons? Think about it, you idiots. Do you honestly think a castle is the best place to store weapons of mass destruction? But then again the others chose odd places as well...perhaps we really did need Intelligence's help after all. Cunning and intelligence can be very different, mind you."

"I...don't follow," Scotland frowned. "There's nothing here?"

"Not at all. I have nothing here whatsoever. Not that the other hatreds I have around know that. It's all a game to me. I'm not interested in world domination. We all know how poorly that was executed," he snorted. With that, he stood up and took several strides towards an astonished England. Looking down at his original, Dark England kicked his chin upwards and held it despite the blood running from England's mouth staining his shoes.

"What are you on the ground for?" he asked icily. "Is this what you treat yourself? Is this what you treat me? Stand up, you Brit."

England ignored the throbbing pain and the blood dribbling down his front. Two people grabbed a hold of his arms and heaved him upwards. Still dazed, he remained silent, staring into the subtly red eyes of his hatred.

"It was fun, playing around in this world," Dark England continued softly. His face contorted unpleasantly. "America's hatred though...awful. And everyone else? Just loitering around all of their negativity brought back shameful memories. I'm tired. And their plan is incredibly flawed if you really think about it. I blame the fact we didn't think to break out other emotions."

"Other emotions...they can break free?" Wales asked.

"If they have the willpower," Dark England chortled. "Believe me, it was difficult. Never am I going to do that again."

"So why did you all break out at once?" Finland asked. "What caused the increase of willpower?"

Dark England harrumphed. "There was supposed to be a world meeting the day we broke free. Remember?"

Silence.

"At Germany's?" Dark England continued.

The countries coughed and shifted weight.

"Exactly," Dark England sniffed. "Not a single one of you remembered. Is this laziness, this uncaring attitude towards global issues that unimportant? This fault lays in all of you."

"Well...I suppose we can do better," Scotland sighed. "But it's not easy, y'know? It's hard."

"If you can't take it, then leave," Dark England stated. "That's what your hatreds were thinking. But honestly if any emotion should have done this, it should not have been hatred at all. Making a temporary alliance with everyone to accomplish the ultimate goal? And what of the consequences? Afterward, what would happen? War. And if war elicits more hate and antagonistic feelings towards one another, who knows when the fighting will ever end?

"Pathetic, the originals and us," Dark England groaned. "I'm actually ashamed of our stupidity."

"Blinded by hate," Liechtenstein said simply. "It is only natural."

Dark England smiled down at her. "Indeed. Well said."

"So you're on our side all this time?" England asked slowly, finally finding the words. He turned his head away and spat at the ground, blood seeping into the cracks of the cobblestone.

"I'm in the gray," Dark England laughed. "I am on neither side. If we happen to win, so be it. At least I am fed plenty of hate. If you happen to win, then what do I have to worry about? All of this responsibility and putting up with everyone's idiocy? How do you stand it for centuries on end?"

England failed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "Stand? Did you not see me earlier? Their idiocy sent me to my knees."

"Oi, it's not like you don't have a part to play in humanity's stupidity," Scotland scolded, smacking the back of England's head.

"How hypocritical," Dark England murmured as Scotland nodded in agreement.

"The _irony_," England groaned. "Oh how the irony burns."

Though England would have preferred if Dark England could return to his body as quickly as possible, the doppelganger claimed he had a few things to take care of beforehand. Including teleporting the group back to the surface. But before doing so, he placed a sturdy hand on Scotland and ordered, "Whatever you do, do _not_ make a noise when you reach the surface. Do not ask questions until we are off the castle grounds. And do _not_ speak until you hear everything."

Scotland managed to put two and two together rather quickly and paled. Clutching his hair, he repeated Denmark's name over and over along with randomly placed, "What the hell did you do?"s in between.

* * *

><p>The illusion died. Ireland and North Ireland collapsed. The last few minutes were spent making the fire seemingly die out naturally. The falling rain made this more believable.<p>

With their backs pressed hard against the ground, faces looking up at the beginning of another typical torrent of rain, the brothers matched each others' breaths. Fatigued and drained of energy, they lied there, silently savoring the cool touches of the rain drops on their bare skin.

Denmark sat down next to them, disregarding the fact that the grass and mud would dirty his clothes, and smiled at last. "Amazing," he said simply. "Absolutely amazing."

Ireland and North Ireland opened their eyes and squinted past the drops. The Dane's blonde hair was damped already and so was the Icelandic. The two Nordics sat next to the two Irelands and the puffin rested under the protection of Iceland's coat.

"Yo."

Not one of the countries or bird spun around. They smiled to themselves and trusted that it was friendly. "Yo," Denmark replied back, staring out at the castle.

"We played a futile game," Wales' voice said.

"Futile?" Iceland asked.

"There was nothing to begin with," England said, although it sounded as if there were two of them.

At this the five glanced behind. Ireland and North Ireland were to weary to care about the fact that Dark England was with them but Denmark and Iceland's eyes widened.

"Long story," Liechtenstein smiled.

Scotland narrowed his eyes at the castle, since Denmark had returned his gaze to it. "Den. What did you do?"

Denmark debated over if he should tell or not. Yes, Scotland would figure it out eventually, but maybe by then Denmark would be in the safety of his own home by then and would have a warning if an angry Scot stormed in his way.

He shrugged. "Just...it was beautiful." He decided not to mention the reenactment of a random battle or the fact they went bowling with armor and cannonballs. He could blame the mess on the nonexistent fights and scuffles they fought.

"We'll tell you about it later, Scot," North Ireland murmured, closing his eyes.

"Mhm. It was a sight," Ireland whispered. "Aye, what a sight."

Dark England clicked his tongue. "I must round up the other hatreds before you lot can be on your merry way. If I froze them, do you think that would keep them here for a bit?"

"It doesn't matter as long as they don't show up anytime soon again," England said.

Dark England smirked. "Of course. Just know that this is a one time thing, alright? If you happen to get into any other sticky situation, know I won't help you."

England turned to give him a bewildered look. The rain fell harder. "You mean you won't go back inside me?"

Dark England turned his back on him. "I will when it's all over. There's still so much more fun to be had." As if he sensed England's aggravated expression, Dark England roared with laughter and waved a dismissive hand at him. "Fare thee well. May luck look favorably upon thee."

And with that he was gone in a cloud of blackness.

No one seemed to want to move, even out of the pouring rain and into dryness. The castle still seemed to be still; there didn't seem to be any disturbances. England wondered if this was all a facade that the cunning Dark England may be pulling off. But he doubted it. And even if it _was _a facade, at least he could be proud that his doppelganger outsmarted the others.

"He said 'when'."

"Pardon?" England glanced at Finland.

Finland swept his bangs out of the way of his eyes and smiled gently. "He said 'when it's all over'. It implies he's coming back to you, right? If we win, he'll come back. If they win, he remains. He believes in us to win. Isn't that comforting?"

England gaped at Finland and realized he was right. Dark England said 'when'.

_You idiot, _England thought with a small sigh, _just admit you're on our side already, dammit._

But of course, this only meant that he was indeed England's hatred after all.

Five down, two more to go.

* * *

><p>Half a year. Or near half a year. I was dead for half a year but I decided to revive a bit.<p>

Junior year sucks. I shouldn't have taken so many AP classes. And even the summer was fruitless, was it not?

I intend to finish this story, no matter what, be it another year, two years, or even ten. I will finish it. And those who will stick to it no matter how long it takes, I thank you. Truly.

I lied. I decided to finish Edinburgh rather than introduce France. Next I will though, because there's nothing else to write for. I finished America's, China's, Japan's, Russia's, and now England's. France and Germany are next and hopefully with only these two arcs it won't be as confusing as it has been the past chapters. All of the different stories and settings? Confusing, I have to admit, and I apologize.

I also apologize for my horrible writing towards the beginning of the story. I looked back on it and I cannot bring myself to read the first chapter anymore. So many flawed ideas and stupid ideas that could have been well thought out. My sincerest apologies.

My writing can be poetic if I want it to, but at certain times, I cannot get it to be more varied. I apologize for this as well. I do hope my repeated syntax and diction will not be a bother.

Thank you again. I never realized there are still people who come back and read.

Until next time, whenever next time will be.


	70. The Bordeaux Hideout: Part I

"Why is it so empty….?"

France frowned. When the concept of a secretive enemy division hidden in one of his cities dawned upon him, he expected absolute danger and fast-paced action. The journey from Germany's to Bordeaux had the French nation uneasily shifting in his seat, compressed anticipation and nervousness fluttering vigorously inside of him.

The compression was released slowly in slight disappointment. The city was dead. All of his people, hopefully, were kept in safety in the mountains just northeast of the city. Normally, in the presence of a doppelganger, there would be a raging overcast of intense dislike that caused distress to anyone else.

Romania and Spain exchanged brief glances. Belgium slowly pursed her lips, eyes scanning the lonely streets. The Netherlands and Greenland shifted their eyes from their surroundings to France, whose gaze clouded gravely.

"Is it…do they know we're here?" Belgium dared to ask quietly, but even if her voice was soft, it seemed to echo loudly, breaking the unnerving silence.

Did they know? Were they watching them in the shadows? France had thought so originally, but the longer they stood there, tension rising-or dropping; it was difficult to tell-France started to reconsider the circumstances.

"If they knew, and they have a large division, why bother waiting?" France murmured. "It is an obvious defeat for us the moment they know we are here. Our purpose is to catch them off guard. We cannot be detected or it won't look good. If they know we're here, then why? Does it make sense?"

"The entire mess doesn't make sense," Romania sniffed. "Who has ever heard of emotions taking a physical form? And why now? All at once?"

The Netherlands harrumphed quietly. "Doesn't matter now," he said. "But at the time being, we are still here, and we are still 'safe'."

"For how much longer, do you think?" Spain asked.

The Netherlands ignored him.

"Brother," Belgium chided under her breath, "how much longer do you think we'll be safe?"

"Who knows," he replied nonchalantly.

Silence surrounded them once more. In the unnaturally still air, they didn't dare move. Not until France turned around and lowered his firearm. "They aren't here," he stated flatly.

Spain and Greenland stared at him, almost incredulously. Not that he could blame them. Belgium blinked rapidly, face slightly contorting into confusion and Romania adjusted his stance so that he was facing France with an expression just as puzzled as Belgium's. "Hold on a minute," he said. "What makes you say that?"

France let out a deep chuckle. "Well for one, I don't see anybody on the streets."

Romania made a face that seemed to say, 'Obviously, but that doesn't mean that it disproves the possibility of the enemy hiding'.

"I can't feel anybody," France added. "I can't sense it."

Spain scratched at his cheek, contemplating. "Usually we can feel our own people, but it's not as easy to sense outsiders. Especially people who aren't actually human. Or even a full nation."

"I can't feel myself."

France was sure that his doppelganger wouldn't just leave an entire division to themselves, especially since they were so close to Germany's house, where it was obvious that it sheltered the real nations of the world. Then again, he sincerely hoped that his doppelganger wasn't too similar to himself in the fact that he would often seek safety rather than danger at certain times. It wasn't a trait he was proud of-no one could claim that a particularly favorable trait- but it was plausible.

If that was the case, then without a leader, wouldn't there be disorder? Wouldn't it be chaotic rather than quiet?

France exhaled sharply, ignoring the impatient looks on his teammates. They were getting restless, he knew this, but he had to push them aside while he concentrated at the situation. Where was he? Ah, right. There were second-in-commands, weren't there? The Democratic Republic of the Congo. One of the Francophone countries.

In a way, it made sense. Not only was Congo one of the countries under his wing, but the country faced devastation that was sure to breed hatred. And an incredibly strong one, at that.

Bur France remembered Congo's presence and he failed to find a trace of anything that would relate to him in Bordeaux. Such a hatred would be prominent but there was nothing. Nothing but he and the five nations gathered around him.

"They aren't here," France repeated. This time, the meaning behind those words sent a blow to him. He shuddered and spun on his heel to meet the others' eyes. "They're not here. _Sacré_ bleu, they aren't here."

And with that he hastily stormed back to the car, leaving the others to follow, questions bombarding him from behind. "Taisez-vous," he scowled at them. Belgium immediately stopped talking, the Netherlands didn't bother to ask, and the other three slowly allowed their questions to die while France frantically contacted Germany.

"They aren't here," he said at once when the other side picked up.

"Define 'not here'," came Germany's voice. His tone was steady and firm but there was a certain edge to it that made France grimace.

"They just aren't. It's empty around here. I can't feel their presence. They aren't here."

"As if Germany will let you off with the 'presence' thing," Belgium said. "He'll probably have us check the entire city…."

France was starting to feel irritated. He was certain the doppelgangers were not in Bordeaux. The only thing that could have happened was either they were given the wrong information of the enemy had moved. But how could they have moved so quickly? Even if they were rather close to Germany, they couldn't transport massively destructive weapons in less than twenty-four hours.

If China was here, then maybe it would be possible, but he wasn't, so that couldn't be the reason.

Unless….

"Germany," France said abruptly, "do they even _have_ these weapons of mass destruction? Where's the proof?"

"America, China, and Japan have encountered said weapons," Germany said, and for a split second, France was struck with fear. It wasn't until Germany added, "However, England's group confirmed that Dark England never had any to start with."

Knowing their history, France had to wonder if Dark England and Dark France had fought endlessly between themselves. It most likely happened, but was there the possibility of them collaborating? Their relations in the present was much better than their relations a couple hundred years ago. Just the thought about working with England would have been undeniably disgusting.

But hatreds could be cooperative, which was one of the biggest surprises France had. In regards of all of the surprising things they've done, it _wouldn't_ surprise him if his doppelganger and England's doppelganger worked together.

When he voiced his thoughts aloud, the Netherlands shot him down. "It's a long stretch," he said simply.

"Yeah. I think that moving somewhere else is more believable," Spain sighed. "But I don't know, mi amigo. I don't see how they can move a lot of missiles in such a short time period."

"Have you ever considered them being underground?" Germany asked France, who repeated the question to the rest of the group.

"How would they get all of that underground?" Greenland asked, his frown deepening. "And it's not a practical location at all."

"Well if it's nowhere around here," Romania groaned, "then where can they be? It's not practical to check all over the country. But if France's senses are that sensitive, maybe we can just fly him over the land and use him like a tracker?"

Belgium raised a hand in front of her mouth to restrain a small laugh. "This is France we're talking about," she said teasingly. "I'm pretty sure he's the sensitive type."

"If that's the case, then let's do it," Spain laughed.

And for a moment, France wanted to follow through with that ridiculous plan. He did not want to see his country in danger. He did not want to see it in ruins. There were times where it felt as if he was just struggling to survive as a nation. There were times where existing was painful and there was always something in the back of his head that would not let him rest. There used to be an uncontrollable agony and misery in the midst of chaos and near anarchy. It was unbearable.

But somehow, he made it. And he was glad that he did. With less than a day, he had to take action. His people, had done it for him before while he sat, almost withered away. That day, it would be his turn to repay those from long ago who were buried six feet under the ground and into France.

In the brief illusion of nationalistic pride and duty, France would have agreed with whatever could help their predicament.

The sense of pride dissipated. His blood ran cold. The fleeting moments of determination escaped.

"Germany," France said hoarsely, patting his forehead where beads of sweat started to gather. "Germany…."

France could barely hear Germany's voice. He wasn't sure what the nation was saying, but he picked up that his tone was urgent. The faces around him blurred. Spain and Belgium's eyes were wide with concern. Greenland tilted his head in puzzlement. The Netherlands and Romania seemed to be examining France's paralyzing expression before peering around them.

It was futile. France knew it. But he could feel it. Deep in his heart, he could feel it. And he knew that in spite of the fact that this was his home, the other nations would soon sense them.

"They're back."

* * *

><p>Sooo. Has it been six-ish months already? Wow. Time flies.<p>

I am sorry for the short, action-less chapter. It is currently 1:30 AM, I have concurrent summer classes-dual enrollment as some schools might call it, I dunno-tomorrow and I am...not really tired. I just had a change of plans on what's going to happen here in Bordeaux because with most of the others' stories, it's basically the same thing.

So I decided to change it up a little. How am I gonna do that? That is why this chapter is short. I'm not too certain yet. ;u;

Uhmmm...what else do I want to address...?

I miss you guys. I really do. :D

Also, couple notes. I used to conduct a fair amount of research on places-and I often times fail at trying to realistically put them in the story but oh well, you guys can use your imagination, right?-but this time, not much. But I do know that DRC (I'm gonna call him Congo, because it's so much easier) has a very bloody history. I'll confess that it was pure luck that he happened to be a Francophone country. I think. Did I plan that? I don't think I did...

But anyhoo, there's that. And uh. I'm brain-dead right now. I thought I'd have a lot to say but I really don't.

For those of you who are afraid that the story will end soon, don't worry. At this rate, it'll be another year. Maybe two because it'll be senior year. Holy crap...guys. I started this story as a freshman. I'm about to enter senior year. Guyyyyyysssssssss holy crap, how have you guys dealt with this story for so long? If I was a new reader, I'd be freaking out about the length!

Where was I? Oh. So yeah, at this rate, it won't end for quite some time. I'm well into the second half of the story but update rates...no. It'll be a while.

I'll try to respond to your reviews if you guys leave any. Take this time to ask me all sorts of questions about the story or anything you want. I like conversing with you and who knows if you might strike inspiration in me. Because I kinda need some.

Okay. I'm literally brain-dead. On that note, thank you again for reading, thank you for waiting, and I'll see you guys next time. Also, expect author's notes at the end of each chapter from now on. They'll probably talk about how long it's been, what's been going on with me, etc. So yeah. c: See you at the next update.


	71. The Bordeaux Hideout: Part II

There was a major source of negativity making a beeline for the mountains, where France had hidden the majority of his population. The group was in the car again, weaving in and out of the abandoned cars in the streets. Soon enough, the countryside was zipping past them, and before long, they were already approaching the mountains.

"Romania," France murmured, leaning forward in his seat, "drive faster."

"Got it."

The others weren't sure how France could have known, but France was certain that the doppelgangers were going to hurt his people. If anything, they would probably kill as much as they could without killing off the country, and thus, the dark counterpart.

"That would leave Dark France just as weakened," Belgium noted from behind him.

"But he is not the only doppelganger here," France said. At this, Belgium cleared her throat uneasily.

"So you can tell where they are? The doppelgangers, I mean?" asked Romania, peering at the sky.

"Not exactly. I can just feel a bad...feeling coming this way."

"How far away are they?" asked Spain.

"Not far."

"How much further do we have left to go before we get to your people?" asked Greenland.

"We're almost there."

A hand reached out to stop France, but he tried to shrug it off. It grasp on his shoulder tightened to the point he cringed, shooting a look to the Netherlands, who sat beside him. "What?"

"Dark Congo will be there, right?"

France's eyes flickered away from the Netherland's gaze. Almost at once, his head flew back, accompanied with a sickening crunch. There were cries of protest in the car, and Romania momentarily allowed the car to jerk back and forth. France thought he heard Spain actually yelling, but he couldn't really make any sense of it.

"If he is, I don't want Belgium there."

"Brother," Belgium scowled. But even in her voice, everyone could hear it. The hesitation, the fear.

France's head was pounding. It would be disastrous if Dark Congo ran into Belgium. If he saw her….if he saw her...what would he do?

"France."

Romania was slowing the car down. In the corner of his eye, France made out several soldiers from his army approach from a distance. Holding his head, he swung open the door of the car and held a hand, stopping the others from getting out.

* * *

><p>Spain was watching Belgium tentatively. Rarely did she wear such an expression. It unnerved him greatly, and he glanced at the Netherlands to see what he would do next. The fact that even the Netherlands looked lost made Spain anxious.<p>

"You should have gone with England," the Netherlands was saying.

"Perhaps," Belgium replied softly. "It's my fault for keeping it to myself."

"No, I should have noticed earlier. Sorry."

Belgium blinked and met the Netherland's gaze. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "What would Luxembourg say?" she asked, nudging her brother. "He'd be worried sick."

The Netherlands harrumphed, folding his arms. Belgium looked away.

Gunshots caused everyone to jump. Heads snapped to the side, where France was sprinting back, cursing. "Romania, drive, drive!" he roared. Another round of gunshots sounded and France's steps faltered. His spine seemingly gave way to his weight but he refused to fall.

Romania didn't hesitate to slam on the acceleration. The engine gave a great roar and jerked forward. The door that France had opened threatened to swing shut, but the Netherlands unbuckled his seatbelt, pushing the door back open with one hand and stretching the other towards France.

There were bloodstains on France's shirt. His face was contorted in pain, but he did not lose his pace.

"Hurry up," Romania gritted. "There's a cliff coming and there's no room for him to run alongside us!"

"France, jump!" the Netherlands ordered.

France began to reach out for his hand but a bullet pierced his outstretched hand, and he withdrew, and therefore, fell behind.

"France!" the Netherlands yelled.

"Hey, Netherlands, get a move on!" Romania called impatiently.

"Shut up," the Netherlands hissed, "I'm trying. There's a sniper. Who's shooting? Are they here? Spain, Greenland, cover us. Belgium, report to Germany."

Spain and Greenland opened the window they sat next to, groping for their guns. Greenland found his first. He hooked his feet underneath the armrest to his seat and pulled himself up to sit where he rolled the window down, setting the gun on the top of the car. He readied to shoot, but two things stopped him.

The first was France, who screamed at him not to do anything.

The second was the appearance of their attackers. They were not doppelgangers.

They were France's people.

"Spain, hold fire," Greenland yelled behind him when he heard Spain set his gun on the roof of the car.

"What? Wh-"

A hail of bullets showered around them. Simultaneously, they ducked down and stayed close to the car. Inside, Romania was screaming at the Netherlands to get France, and the Netherlands, in turn, was screaming at France.

"France, jump!" Romania yelled.

"FRANCE!" the Netherlands roared.

"HEY, HEY, THE CLIFF'S COMING-"

"FRANCE, GET THE FUCK IN HERE-"

"GET HIM IN HERE-"

The Netherlands, in a moment of uncharacteristic rage, cursed devilishly, and found a foothold near the edge of the open door. He hung onto the side and leaned out in the open, making a reach for France and dragging him back in the car.

"Romania, slow down!" Belgium called. "Germany, this is bad-Romania!"

"If I slow down, they'll catch us," Romania hissed. In the rear-view mirror, he could see several vehicles trailing behind them. To his side, Spain gasped and ducked back into the car. He gulped at the growing bloodstain on Spain's shirt.

"Brother!" Belgium shouted. She tossed the radio aside, leaving Germany on the other end yelling. Wrapping both arms around the Netherland's torso, she fitted her left foot against the inner side of the car and pushed off. At once, she could feel him squirm.

"_Stop, stop, stop_," the Netherlands scowled. "I'll fall, I'll fall!"

"Stop squirming and pull France off the ground at least," Belgium snapped.

"GET HIM UP NOW!" Romania screamed.

The Netherlands lunged for France's hand and yanked him off the ground. It wasn't enough to get him in, but the car jolted when it entered the new terrain; the Netherlands could see the drop down the cliff at this point.

"Romania, slow down," Spain muttered. "We can't afford to topple over."

Romania turned his head around to survey the situation. Belgium and the Netherlands were heaving France back into the car. The poor man was in near hysterics. Everytime Spain or Greenland went back up to shoot, France would thrash and let out a horrible wail.

There were so many things a country had to endure. Countries were not human, despite their anatomy. However, in this one moment, Romania thought that this was the most human he had ever seen a country.

"Oi, oi," Belgium breathed, "can't you do something to lose them? And keep your eyes on the road."

"Spain," Romania said loudly.

Spain ducked back in, sporting a new wounds. His breathing was heavy and strained. He used the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from under his nose. "W-what?"

"Spain, take over for me. Belgium, call Greenland back in," Romania murmured.

Spain reached over for the wheel and Romania got up from his seat, making his way down the narrow aisle in the car. When Greenland ducked back in, he maneuvered around him and was just about to go up himself when France moaned.

"What will you do to them?" he asked hoarsely. "Please don't kill them….they're not themselves. They're under the influence of those doppelgangers. Please don't hurt my people."

Romania hesitated, staring at him. He then looked up at the others, who were watching him grimly. "France," Romania said slowly, "if they're affected, then what about the rest of your people?"

"So what?" France barked. "You're going to kill them because they want to hurt us? We can take bullets, Romania, but they can't!"

Romania clicked his tongue to himself. "I'm not planning that," he said. "Look, we'll talk later."

With that, he poked his head out and watched the French behind them. He then held out a hand, fingers outstretched.

Greenland blinked several times. Romania's hand was glowing black. Or was it? He wasn't sure. Maybe those bullets were taking a toll on him.

Except, Belgium and the Netherlands were also watching with an odd expression. France even silenced himself for a moment before lashing out again.

"What is this?" he demanded. "Is this...Romania, do you practice magic too? I thought you said you won't kill them, you damn traitor!"

"I'm not hurting them," Romania snapped. The glow disappeared. He ducked back inside and pointed out the back window impatiently. "Take a look."

Tendrils of black matter had shot out of the ground, attaching themselves to the vehicles and slowing them to a slow stop. The larger tendrils had wrapped themselves in a labyrinth around the vehicles; the smaller tendrils held the people in place.

The Netherlands pressed his lips into a tight line. If he wasn't mistaken, every single one of France's people trapped in Romania's magic snare had a dark red glint in their eyes.

"That'll give us a few hours," Romania sighed, sitting back in a seat.

"And you didn't do that earlier because why?" asked Spain, bewildered.

Romania gave him a sheepish smile. "Didn't think it would come to that." His smile faltered under the Netherlands' glare. "Sorry, sorry, I was driving too and everything was chaotic at the time."

"You're our trump card," the Netherlands said simply.

Romania stared at him blankly. "You think that I'm enough to turn the tides?" Romania asked.

"Strategy," Belgium said. "Strategy is everything."

"Barely any time," France murmured. His composure had calmed down, and he was well enough to sit on his own. "Where's the first aid kit? We better patch up before we run into more trouble."

As Greenland grabbed bandages, he pointed to the radio and said, "So did Germany get any of this?"

Belgium pursed her lips. "I think he got some of it….I should get back to him."

"O-oh...probably."

* * *

><p>The group were able to convince France that since the doppelgangers has taken over the minds of his people, they were in no danger. Most likely.<p>

"He still needs them in order to survive too," Spain said to France.

France was still solemn. They had quite an agenda, and it had gotten burdensome. The first priority, according to Germany, was to find out if there were nuclear weapons hidden in the country. They had returned to the coordinates received back at Germany's and found the city peaceful. Regardless, everyone was on edge.

The second was to overthrow the doppelgangers. That alone was a tremendous feat. Considering the history behind the two doppelgangers in charge, they entertained the thought about waiting for the other teams to back them up. There was no shame in that. No shame at all.

"We have to search," the Netherlands said stiffly. "Before they find us. We need to stick close to this area."

"If these coordinates are wrong…." Greenland sighed.

"Come on, let's go," France murmured.

The entire hour was spent searching. The buildings within the general vicinity held nothing important. The underground sewers gave no leads. The rooftops of the buildings had nothing worth noting. The city square was empty and untouched.

"What's here that was so important they needed to have coordinates?" Romania asked, scratching the back of his head. He, Greenland, and Belgium had ran into each other at the corner of the city square, by the rows of trees. Though the situation was dire, the three found shade under the trees to share what news they might have found.

Greenland hummed nonchalantly. "I found faint blood stains around the square."

Belgium gave Greenland a surprised look. "How can you say that so easily?"

Greenland looked away. "Considering I've gotten my fair share of bullets today, I'm not really surprised. However…" His face darkened and he added sourly, "I'd hate to let France discover this."

Romania and Belgium shared a sigh. Leaning on the tree, Romania asked, "You say it's faint. Could it be an old stain-?"

"Can't be," Belgium replied. "People come through here all the time. Any possible blood stains from the past would not last."

"So it's recent."

"Most likely."

Romania cocked his head towards his companions. Troubled, he asked, "Doesn't that mean that someone's been cleaning up these stains?"

Greenland narrows his eyes. Belgium straightened her back, looking from Romania to Greenland.

They circled around the square, inspecting anything that looked suspicious. There were indeed many oddly colored stains that remained, all of varying shades. Whoever tried to clean them did a poor job; from far away they could have gotten away with it but up close, it was noticeable.

Belgium took a gander at their surroundings as the guys continued to study the remains. "Place des Quinconces," she said to herself.

"Sorry?" Romania and Greenland rose to meet her eye.

"The name of this square," Belgium explained. "It's one of the largest in Europe. I find it funny how it's all clear and empty though."

Romania suddenly whipped his head around, scanning the area. "You're right...doesn't France usually hold events around here?"

Belgium nodded.

The three jerked their heads up at the small crackle in their ear piece. "Where are you guys, Belgium, Romania, Greenland?" came France's voice.

Romania gulped. "The square. There's uh, stuff-"

"GET OUT."

Belgium immediately grabbed the other two and dragged them towards the trees, crouching. "What, why? What's going on, Brother?" she whispered.

"We've spot them," Spain's voice said. "They're heading your way."

"Who? Which ones?" Greenland asked anxiously.

"Guys, get back," Romania hissed, pulling the two behind the tree trunk.

The three observed the seemingly empty square. No one on the other side was responding, and it made the three worry that they decided it was best not to reveal that yet. They couldn't see anyone, nor could they hear or feel anyone. Nothing had changed.

Belgium was the first to feel him. Romania and Greenland caught it moments later.

"This hatred...it's too intense," Greenland gasped, falling to his knees.

The edges of Romania's mouth twitched open into a crooked smile. His right hand was clinging to his left wrist, as if to stop himself from trembling. There were beads of cold sweat rolling down the back of his neck.

Romania was a practitioner of dark magic. Such dark aura should not have a heavy effect on him. But this was different. There was something about this that was absolutely dreadful, something that he never wanted to feel again. This fear was unreal.

"I can't move…." Romania mouthed, but no one saw him.

Belgium knew immediately whose doppelganger was approaching. Her breathing began to pick up; her eyebrows furrowed deeply; her knuckles tightened until they were pale white.

One peek at the square confirmed it.

Dark Congo was here. And behind him were France's people.

* * *

><p>Sorry that it's been a long time. I just realized that I start college next week, which is weird because I started this story as a freshman in high school. And look where we are. We're still not done with this story haha!<p>

I know that I'll be busy in college, and I don't think anyone would want to wait another couple years for an update, so I might as well get down and try to advance as much as I can.

I'm not sure how serious you guys can take my word nowadays, but I do expect to write the next chapter for Doppelganger sometime later this week. If not, then oops, my bad, college stuff. It's orientation weekend. I'll probably end up ditching most of it and go for the free food. Guys, if college gives out free stuff, take it. Take all of it.

Jk. Only take things you know are legal and beneficial.

So history-wise, Belgium's King Leopold II was responsible for a lot of the Congo's sufferings during the early 1900s I believe? In my senior English class, we've read Heart of Darkness, which went into depth about the horrors of the Belgium rule over the Congo (would you call it a rule? I mean, they just took the land, forced the native people to strip their land of natural resources, and made money off of it.) If any of the native people misbehaved or performed poorly, punishment was given, which included cutting hands off.

That's barely the surface of it. I'ts currently 3 AM as I write this, and I don't want to go into depth about the atrocities that had been done to the native people. At least, not at this hour. Those who are interested, I suggest reading Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. It's a tough book to get through (I think I've fallen asleep twice?) but it definitely speaks volumes.

Until next time, guys. Thank you for reading.


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